MCP server · Productivity

HOCR MCP server

Turn photos of handwritten math into LaTeX code your AI can read and use.

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This is a small helper that reads handwritten math from a picture and turns it into LaTeX, which is the plain-text way of writing math formulas on a computer. It is handy if you often deal with equations on paper, on a whiteboard, or in a photo, and you want them typed up without doing it by hand. It is meant for people who are comfortable running a couple of commands on their own computer.

What is an MCP server? The 30-second version

On its own, your AI can only chat with you using text you type. An MCP server is a small helper program that gives your AI a new skill. This helper gives your AI the skill of reading handwritten math from an image and writing it out as LaTeX. So when you ask your AI to convert a photo of an equation, it passes the image to this helper, and the helper sends back the LaTeX text for you.

What this MCP server does

You upload an image that contains handwritten math, like a photo of a notebook page or a whiteboard. Your AI sends that image to this helper program running on your computer. The helper uses a vision-language model, which is a kind of AI that can look at pictures, to read the handwriting and figure out the formula. It then writes the formula out as LaTeX, a text format for math. You get that LaTeX text back in your chat, ready to copy into a document or editor.

Flow diagram: you ask your AI “Turn this photo of my handwritten equation into LaTeX”, the HOCR MCP server works in steps: looks at the picture, then reads the handwriting, then writes it as LaTeX, and you get back laTeX code for your formula.

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What you can do with it

Convert a photo of a handwritten equation into LaTeX
Turn a whiteboard snapshot of a formula into copyable text
Read handwritten math from a scanned page and give you the LaTeX
Preview the resulting formula with the included Vue frontend
Save yourself from retyping long equations by hand

Try asking your AI

“Here is a photo of my handwritten equation. Please turn it into LaTeX.”
“Convert this whiteboard picture of a formula into LaTeX code I can paste into my notes.”
“Read the math in this image and give me the LaTeX version.”
“What is the formula in this handwritten image, written as LaTeX?”

What it gives back to you

You get back a text answer in the chat: the LaTeX code for the formula in the image. Depending on how the frontend is set up, you may also see a rendered preview of the formula using KaTeX. If the handwriting is unclear, the result may be wrong or partial, so it is worth checking.

Before you start

What you need

Python with uvicorn installed to run the MCP server
Node.js and npm to run the Vue frontend
The hocr-vue-client folder from the project, with katex and axios installed

Good to know

The handwriting recognition can make mistakes, especially with messy writing, so check the LaTeX before you rely on it.

Install it with your AI

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