My First Chrome Extension: using Google Vision API x Arolsen Archives
I’m excited to announce the release of my very first Chrome extension. It uses the Google Cloud Vision API to detect text and numbers in historical images, with a focus on making research more efficient and accessible.
One of the standout features is the ability to instantly search recognized numbers and text within the Arolsen Archives, the world’s largest collection of documents about millions of victims of Nazi Germany, including concentration camp prisoners, forced laborers, and displaced persons. The Arolsen Archives are an invaluable resource for historians and researchers working on topics related to World War II and the Holocaust.
This project was inspired by the needs of a scientist and historian, who has already begun using the tool to streamline her research process. The ability to detect numbers and text on images and immediately perform a search in the Arolsen Archives has proven to be useful, saving time and simplifying workflows.
If you’re a researcher or someone interested in historical documents, especially those related to the Shoa, give the extension a try:
Some word on te technical side of things: Throughout this project, I learned a lot about how Chrome extensions work and the technical details of connecting external APIs, like the Google Cloud Vision API, into a browser tool. One of the harder parts was figuring out the asynchronous nature of Chrome extensions, especially how background scripts and message passing between the front-end and back-end work. Setting up a proxy server to handle requests and making sure I stayed within the API limits was also something I had to manage. I also got a better understanding of how Chrome extensions interact with the browser’s permissions and security policies, like the Content Security Policy (CSP), which is important for making sure the extension works safely.
This project came with way more challanges as i expected, but I’m really happy with everything I learned!
Edit: This project is not affiliated with the Aroslen Archives.
#chromeextension #arolsenarchives #googlevision #googlevisionapi #shoa #ContentSecurityPolicy
