Intelligent Machines Research Corporation

David Hammond Shepard
Born	(1923-09-30) September 30, 1923 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	November 24, 2007(2007-11-24) (aged 84) San Diego, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Inventor, engineer, businessman
Known for	Early optical character recognition (OCR) system, voice recognition technology, Farrington B numeric typeface

David Hammond Shepard (September 30, 1923 – November 24, 2007) was an American innovator recognized for creating the earliest optical character recognition (OCR) system, developing the initial voice recognition technology, and designing the Farrington B numeric typeface utilized on credit cards.

Life

Shepard was born in Milwaukee and, after losing his parents at a young age, was raised by Laurens Hammond, the creator of the Hammond organ. He completed a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at Cornell University in 1945 and obtained a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan in 1947. During the Second World War, he contributed to cryptanalysis efforts for the Armed Forces Security Agency (the predecessor to the NSA), specializing in deciphering Japanese communications.

Following the war, Shepard collaborated with Harvey Cook Jr. to develop an OCR machine named "Gismo." In 1952, he co-established Intelligent Machines Research Corporation in Arlington, Virginia, aiming to bring this technology to market. Although IBM acquired a license for the device, it did not proceed with large-scale manufacturing.

To address issues with reading credit cards—especially at fuel stations where smudging occurred—Shepard created the Farrington B numeric font to enhance OCR accuracy. This innovation marked one of the first significant commercial uses of optical character recognition, although magnetic stripe technology has since become predominant.

In 1962, Shepard launched Cognitronics Corporation and introduced the patented "Conversation Machine" in 1964. This system was a forerunner in telephone-based interactive voice response, employing speech recognition to detect basic words such as "yes" and "no."

Beginning in the 1980s, Shepard directed his efforts toward harnessing wind energy at high altitudes and partnered with Bryan William Roberts from the University of Sydney to found Sky WindPower Corporation.

He died at age 84 in San Diego due to complications from bronchiectasis.

Patents

• Low output impedance feedback power amplifier
• Time interval marking apparatus
• Apparatus for extracting energy from winds at high altitudes by David H. Shepard, filed April 28, 1982
• Power generation from high altitude winds by David H. Shepard, filed Oct 11, 1985
• Precisely controlled flying electric generators III by Bryan William Roberts and David Hammond Shepard, filed Oct 18, 2004
• Precisely controlled flying electric generators by Bryan William Roberts and David Hammond Shepard, filed Aug 17, 2004