More About the BYU Family History Technology Laboratory

The BYU Family History Technology Laboratory has the following purpose:

The goal of the Family History Technology Laboratory is to create technologies that will empower better and more effective family history research. It is not our role to deploy such technologies but to create demonstration prototypes from which libraries, societies and technology vendors can develop offerings for family history researchers to use. Our fundamental goal is to develop technology that moves family history out of the libraries and into the homes and lives of ordinary people.

They are presently involved in the following projects:

Digital Microfilm LibraryThis project is a series of prototypes to demonstrate the capabilities of a digital microfilm library that can simplify the index extraction process and provide access to the microfilm library from home.
Automatic Indexing of Handwritten RecordsThe goal is to create a set of image features which can be used to index microfilm images of handwritten records.
Multiresolution Downloading of ImagesWe desire to create a image format for microfilm images which can download at various resolutions and/or partial fragments. By downloading fragments or low resolution summaries we can deliver digitized microfilm images over ordinary phone lines at interactive rates.
Extracting genealogy information from free-form HTMLA great deal of new genealogical information is being published on the WWW using HTML. There is wide variability in the formats used for displaying such information. We seek automatic means to extract and utilize such information.
Automated online research assistantWe seek to provide better automatic advice for new people trying to do family history research. In particular we wish to use all of the information that they already have to generate and filter searches on various online archives. We also seek to develop an open architecture into which experts in various areas can contribute automated advice and thus enhance the overall system.

It is possible that some of the genealogy companies out there are interested in the same types of projects. If you or someone you know may be interested, you may wish to contact the BYU Technology Transfer department. While you visit this website, make sure you read about the development of carbonated yogurt (what does this have to do with genealogy??).