borderless-passport-reader

This project is the backend for a passport reading application built using AWS services. It processes passport images, extracts important information like the date of birth (DOB) and expiry date, and stores it in a Postgres database.

Overview

This backend utilizes AWS Lambda, S3, SQS, AWS Textract, WebSockets, and Postgres to perform the following operations:

1. Upload Passport Image: The user uploads an image to the frontend application built with React.js.
2. Upload Image to S3: The image is uploaded to an S3 bucket via a Lambda function.
3. Extract Information: The Lambda function processes the uploaded image with AWS Textract to extract the DOB and expiry date from the passport.
4. Queueing: The extracted data is passed through SQS queues to maintain a decoupled and scalable system. This design helps control throughput and reduces the load on the database, making the flow architecture more robust and easier to backup.
5. Real-time Updates: A WebSocket connection is added to send the extracted passport information to the frontend as soon as it is available, providing a real-time user experience.
6. Insert into Database: The extracted information is inserted into a Postgres database via another Lambda function.

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Flow Diagram

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Architecture

• Frontend: passport-uploader built on React.js
• Backend: border-passport-reader built on TypeScript, deployed using the AWS Serverless Framework
• AWS Services:
  • AWS Lambda: Handles the core logic and workflows
  • AWS S3: Stores the uploaded passport images
  • AWS SQS: Handles the queuing of image processing tasks, ensuring the system can control throughput, reduce load on the database, and support efficient backups.
  • AWS Textract: Extracts DOB and expiry date from the passport image
  • WebSockets: Provides a real-time connection between the backend and frontend, ensuring users receive the extracted data as soon as it's processed.
  • Postgres: Stores the extracted information for later retrieval

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Installation and Setup

Prerequisites

• AWS account with necessary permissions
• Node.js and NPM installed
• Serverless Framework installed

Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/borderless-passport-reader.git
   cd borderless-passport-reader