Open‐source tool for interactive digitisation of pluviograph strip charts

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The analysis of weather requires data collected over long periods of time. Rainfall intensity is one of the basic weather measurements. Paper strip charts were used in the past, and in some parts of the world are used even today, to record rainfall intensity over a given period of time. Since most modern analysis takes place on computers, we need a way to digitise historical data to be able to process it. An existing automated algorithm was adapted and implemented in an interactive program to solve this task. The algorithm automatically processes images of rainfall charts and allows users to manually correct any errors, resulting in a very accurate reading. This paper documents how the program works, the results it gives and the underlying problem itself. It also offers some commentary on computer‐aided digitisation of other strip charts. The software is freely available on the web under an open‐source license and serves as a base for continued growth and evolution by contributions from the community.
A free and open‐source application was developed to aid in digitisation of pluviograph paper strip charts. It automatically processes scanned images of charts and allows users to manually correct any errors, therefore assuring greater speed and accuracy when reading charts in different formats. This paper documents how the program works, the results it gives and the underlying problem itself.