Mathematical notation reading
BoardSnap AI reads mathematical and engineering notation on whiteboards — equations, integrals, derivatives, circuit elements, structural diagrams. Works best with clear annotations alongside the symbolic content.
For Engineering Students
For engineering students who solve problems at the board.
BoardSnap is an iOS app that turns a whiteboard photo into a structured summary in ten seconds. For engineering students, that means the problem set walk-through at the board, the derivation a professor spent 20 minutes building, and the lab planning session all become clean study materials — not blurry photos you're squinting at during the exam.
Download on the
App Store
Free to start. Pro from $9.99/mo or $69.99/yr.
What hurts today
- Derivations and proofs built step-by-step on a lecture board are the most important content to capture and the hardest to photograph clearly
- Problem set help sessions at the board with a TA or tutor produce step-by-step solutions that you're trying to understand and photograph at the same time
- Lab planning sessions where the team is designing the experimental approach produce important technical decisions that need to be documented before lab day
- Group study sessions where your cohort is working through a hard problem produce rich collaborative content that one blurry photo doesn't capture
- Exam review sessions where a professor is working through likely exam problems on the board produce the most targeted prep content that usually gets photographed worst
- Design project planning sessions — capstone projects, senior design — involve complex technical decisions that need systematic documentation
How BoardSnap helps
- Snap a derivation and get a structured step-by-step description — each step described, assumptions stated, key results highlighted — the study document for the final exam
- TA help session boards produce a written solution walk-through — the approach explained, the key insight captured, the answer contextualized
- Lab planning boards produce a structured experimental protocol — what you're measuring, how you're measuring it, what the equipment is, who's doing what
- Group study problem boards produce a documented solution that every group member has before leaving — no divergent understandings of how to solve this class of problem
- Exam review boards produce targeted prep notes — the professor's exact approach to likely exam problems, in structured written form
- Projects per course build a searchable semester archive — board captures organized by topic, not by date
A day with BoardSnap
- Lecture derivation
Track the professor's derivation across the board. Snap when it's complete. BoardSnap produces a step-by-step description of the derivation — each step labeled, the key moves highlighted, the result stated clearly. The study document that replaces 'I need to re-derive this from scratch.'
- Problem set session
Work through the hard problem at the board — individually or with a group. Snap when the solution is complete. BoardSnap produces a structured solution walk-through — the approach, the key steps, the answer.
- TA or tutor help', 'body': 'The TA works through the concept or the problem at the board. Snap before leaving. BoardSnap captures the specific guidance in structured written form — the targeted help that cost you half an hour of office hours, preserved.
- Lab planning', 'body': 'Design the experiment at the board — measurement approach, equipment, team roles, data analysis plan. Snap. BoardSnap produces a structured experimental protocol — the planning doc your team executes from on lab day.
- Exam prep', 'body': 'Build the review outline on the board — topic by topic, key equations, typical problem structures. Snap. BoardSnap produces a structured review guide that organizes the semester's content for efficient exam prep.
Features that matter for engineering students
Step-by-step structure
Numbered derivation steps and problem solution steps on the board produce sequential descriptions in the summary — the logical progression preserved as structured text, not a flat transcription.
Projects per course
One project per engineering course. Every lecture derivation, every problem set session, and every exam prep board accumulates — the semester's board content organized and searchable.
Offline queue
Engineering labs, large lecture halls, and basement study rooms all have inconsistent WiFi. BoardSnap queues on-device and processes when signal returns.
AI chat per project
Ask the AI questions against the course board history: 'what assumptions were made in Tuesday's derivation?' 'how did the TA approach the boundary condition problem?' The AI answers from your captured course content.
Frequently asked
Can BoardSnap capture mathematical derivations accurately?
BoardSnap AI reads mathematical notation on whiteboards reasonably well — equations, variables, integrals, matrices. For complex multi-step derivations, clear step labels (Step 1, Step 2) and verbal annotations alongside the math significantly improve the output quality. Pure symbolic boards without text annotations produce more limited descriptions.
Is it useful for circuit diagrams and engineering diagrams?
Yes. Circuit diagrams, free body diagrams, system diagrams, and structural drawings with annotations read well. The richer the textual annotation on the diagram (component labels, value annotations, current direction labels), the more detailed the BoardSnap description.
How does it help with group problem set sessions?
Work through the problem at the board as a group. Snap when the solution is complete. Every group member gets the same structured solution walk-through — the approach, the key steps, the answer — before anyone leaves. No more each person having a slightly different understanding of how to solve this class of problem.
Can it help with lab reports?
Yes — snap the lab planning board (experimental design, measurement approach, team roles) before lab day. BoardSnap produces a structured protocol. After lab, snap the data analysis board. The structured output serves as the basis for your lab report's methods and results sections.
What's the price for engineering students on a budget?
Free includes one project and 30 boards — enough to evaluate it for one course. Pro is $9.99/month or $69.99/year. For courses with heavy whiteboard-based teaching, most engineering students find the exam prep and lecture capture value more than justifies it.
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Brainstorm session
How to build a semester-long study resource from lecture and problem session boards.
Built for engineering students who ship.
Snap a whiteboard. Ship the action plan. In ten seconds.
Free · 1 project, 30 boards
Pro $9.99/mo · everything unlimited
Pro $69.99/yr · save 42%