noun
character reader; OCR device
Technical term for a device that reads printed or handwritten characters, often used in the context of optical character recognition (OCR).
この文字読取り装置は、手書きの書類も読み取れます。
This character reader can also read handwritten documents.
OCR is the broader concept of optical character recognition, while 文字読取り装置 refers specifically to the hardware device that performs the reading.
Compound of 文字 (character), 読取り (reading), and 装置 (device). A straightforward technical term with no obscure historical derivation.