Barcode
| A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it attaches. Originally, barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1 dimensional (1D). Later they evolved into rectangles, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns in 2 dimensions (2D). Although 2D systems use a variety of symbols, they are generally referred to as barcodes as well. Barcodes originally were scanned by special–optical scanners called barcode readers, scanners and interpretive software are available on devices including desktop printers and smartphones.
The first use of barcodes was to label railroad cars, but they were not commercially successful until they were used to automate supermarket checkout systems, a task for which they have become almost universal. Their use has spread to many other tasks that are generically referred to as Auto ID Data Capture (AIDC). The very first scanning of the now ubiquitous Universal Product Code (UPC) barcode was on a pack of Wrigley Company chewing gum in June 1974. Other systems have made inroads in the AIDC market, but the simplicity, universality and low cost of barcodes has limited the role of these other systems until the first decade of the 21st century over 40 years after the introduction of the commercial barcode. It costs under 0.5¢ (U.S.) to provide a barcode. It was not until late 2008 when the barcode began getting its first significant challenge in the retail industry from radio frequency identification or RFID specifically passive Radio Frequency Identification RFID in 2011 costs about 5¢ to 15¢ per tag. RFID is seen as the clear replacement to bar code since it is an order of magnitude more productive allowing scans of thousands at a time. In 2010 a Korean company successfully printed a chip and inlay onto paper substrate and predicted a 3 cent tag by 2012 |
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