The evolution of barcode system from 1840s Morse code to current QR code. This led to the full traceability potential of material, as it flows through the manufacturing process from raw material to recycling and the innovative technologies that would follow.
Currently, data acquisition is being revolutionized by various technologies. Historically, scan engines and decoders have been developed by various manufacturers and marketed in different forms. Examples include barcode scanners, mobile computers for data capture, and stationary reading systems.
Today, however, the possibilities are no longer limited to hardware. Commercially available cameras can capture images very well. This allows a scan decoder (software) to capture and read the captured barcodes. Smartphones or tablet PCs are often used for this purpose. However, not only codes can be read through the software-based approach. Additional intelligence can also be added. Example: Several codes are captured at once and the user uses his fingers to select the correct code. Two codes are scanned at the same time and the software processes with the backend system and immediately gives visual feedback which code is the right one. This simplifies, for example, the removal of products that look very similar.
One of the biggest challenges was bridging reading distances and reading under difficult conditions. These include unfavorable lighting or contrast, damaged or dirty codes, and very small or oversized barcodes.
Today, a good engine or vision technology can be the accelerators into fast and easy to use barcode scanning applications.
On the top of that, data capture of standardized text data is becoming more and more important as an extra feature, such as vehicle identification numbers, license plates, driver’s licenses and more. In many workflows, the text data is necessary to ensure and further execute a process. Therefore, it is critical to automatically recognize physical text and transform it into accurate digital data that streams right into your applications.
On-device machine learning accelerate multiple data capture processes. And it couldn’t be easier to use — just aim the camera, center the desired text, and decode!
Often it is no costly time-consuming programming or coding needed and integration is easy. Leading hardware manufactures like Zebra or Honeywell providing tools that are coming without further costs together with your hardware. But you must be aware of the following: often it brings great benefit, if you configure your components! Some features are not pre-installed but free to use! Moreover, Software providers gives you strong decoders to capture multiple data within your workforce.
How MH-Invelopment can help you?
Bringing awareness of what is possible. Setting up the right configuration!
Any distance. Any barcode. Any light. Any conditions!
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