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Scanning documents from a live camera stream with the Linux Document Scanner

This example demonstrates how to scan documents from a live camera stream on Linux using the Scanbot SDK. It uses OpenCV for camera capture and display, and the Scanbot SDK for real-time document detection.

The implementation is split into several small, reusable components:

Requirements​

Make sure you have these packages installed:

pip install scanbotsdk opencv-python numpy

Your system must also provide:

  • GStreamer plugins if using jetson_csi or libcamera pipelines
  • A camera device (USB webcam, Jetson CSI, or libcamera-compatible camera)

Optional: Install CUDA + TensorRT​

Requires Jetpack 6.1, CUDA 12.6, and TensorRT 10.3 for GPU acceleration.

sudo apt install -y nvidia-l4t-cuda libnvinfer10 libnvinfer-plugin10 libnvonnxparsers10

Camera helper​

  • Opens a camera using V4L2 (numeric index like "0") or GStreamer ("jetson_csi" / "libcamera")
  • Requests 1280×720 @ 30fps

Device strings:

  • "0", "1" — USB webcams via V4L2
  • "jetson_csi" — Jetson CSI camera (nvarguscamerasrc)
  • "libcamera" — modern libcamera-based pipeline (e.g. Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm)

Document scanner​

  • Creates a DocumentScanner instance with ProcessingMode.AUTO
document scanner
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print result
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Scanning loop​

  • Each captured frame is wrapped in an ImageRef with live_source=True for maximum FPS
  • Continuously reads frames from the camera
  • Sends them to the scanner
  • Passes results to an on_result callback

Optional: Live preview window​

  • Displays the processed frame in a real-time window
  • Press ESC or close the window to stop
draw frame
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Running the example​

The document_live function combines all components into a runnable demo. It opens the camera, creates the document scanner, and starts the scanning loop with or without a live preview window.

example_usage
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Performance tip (Jetson):​

To avoid throttling, set max GPU/CPU/memory clocks:

sudo jetson_clocks --store
sudo jetson_clocks

Restore defaults later:

sudo jetson_clocks --restore

Try the full example​

To run a complete working demo, clone the official example repository:

Get in touch​

If you need further information or are interested in licensing the Scanbot SDK, please get in touch with our solution experts.

Scanbot SDK is part of the Apryse SDK product family

A mobile scan is just the start. With Apryse SDKs, you can expand mobile workflows into full cross‑platform document processing. Whether you need to edit PDFs, add secure digital signatures, or use a fast, customizable document viewer and editor, Apryse gives you the tools to build powerful features quickly.

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