Partner offers

Open research prototype

Bayt al-HikmaGlobal Manuscript Genome

Could two fragments held a continent apart belong to the same book? Start with the scan, preserve its provenance, and let evidence guide every next step.

Open the fragment lab Browse the observatory

Local prototype active/Global research network not deployed

Collection evidence

Illustrative only · no match claimed

Example manuscript scan, shown as an unlinked research sample

SCAN A · Mingana Islamic Arabic 1572a

Second example manuscript scan, shown as an unlinked research sample

SCAN B · The Met 1996.238.2

Traceable
by source

29°58′ N 31°08′ E
Archive network preview

12catalogued records in the observatory

0archive partners connected to this prototype

Localscan comparison stays in your browser

Research grid: not deployed

01 Local scan analysis

Try the fragment lab

Compare the boundary texture of two scans on this device. Your selected images are not uploaded.

Browser only

Scan ASource record linked

Early ḤijāzīUniversity of Birmingham / Wikimedia Commons · public domain scan

Choose a public sample

Scan BSource record linked

Kūfic · 531 AHThe Metropolitan Museum of Art · Open Access / Public Domain

Choose a public sample

One comparison runs only when you press the button. WebGPU is used when available; otherwise this device’s CPU handles it.

The lab compares normalized brightness profiles along scan borders. It does not read text, authenticate an object, or establish that two pages belong together. Do not upload restricted, private, or rights-uncleared images.

02 The research program

From one scan pair to a shared archive mission.

Each stage needs clear image rights, source records, and human review before any candidate becomes a published connection.

Partner archives

Not connected

Work with libraries and collections that can share scans and rights metadata.

Scan & describe

Catalog prototype

Keep each image attached to its stable catalogue record, source, and image terms.

Generate candidates

Local demo only

Compare edge geometry, script texture, page layout, and other measurable signals.

Scholar review

Not connected

A qualified reviewer checks the source images before a match can be published.

Evidence stays attached

Every future candidate must point back to the collection record, image, and the exact features that triggered it.

No silent compute

This prototype never runs background jobs. Local analysis starts only after you press “Compare scans locally.”

Open invitation, honest status

Archive partnerships, the volunteer network, and public research outputs are future work; none are presented as active today.

بيت
الحكمة

The first real-world milestone

One partner collection. One reviewed result.

Help shape the pilot with a public-domain dataset, collection expertise, or manuscript imaging research. Any scan used must have documented permission or open rights.

Discuss a research partnership

Partner offers

Optional external offers. Open only when you choose.

View Offer 1 ↗View Offer 2 ↗