March 20, 2012

Toshiba has announced what could be the next and final generation of point-of-sale scanners that would mean the end of barcodes. Well, maybe.

Is Toshiba’s new scanner the end of barcodes?

The demonstration video released by Toshiba shows a conventional, counter-mounted scanner that seems to work just like—and just as fast as—conventional barcode scanners. The difference is that it uses image recognition technology to identify whatever the checker shows it.

The video shows three test apples, a Fuji, a Jonagold and a Mutsu. Normal humans couldn’t tell the difference if they held them in their hands and consulted an encyclopedia, but the Toshiba scanner did in a fraction of a second.

The technology involved is image pattern recognition—very much like the technology used in Intelligent Print Recognition. This advanced technology enables a computer to detect subtle attributes that uniquely distinguish between, for example, types of apples—or virtually anything else.

The end of barcodes is more than just the loss of item recognition

This is not as simple as it may sound. In addition to recognizing the primary object, the scanner must also learn to ignore everything that isn’t the primary object, when that object isn’t necessarily presented at a predictable distance or angle, or in a controlled lighting environment, or at a fixed rate of speed, or with a static background—you get the idea.

Furthermore, point-of-sale is a fast moving, often chaotic environment. Inaccuracies or interruptions in the process are not well tolerated—and that’s only when they are detected and corrected.

Will Toshiba’s new scanner actually initiate the end of barcodes? Well, maybe—but barcodes do a lot more than just identify the item. And barcodes are doing more and more as this technology also advances. Today’s barcodes not only identify the commodity, they can also encode an expiration date and a lot number. Can Toshiba’s new scanner do that? Not today, but maybe someday.

The end of barcodes will come eventually–we just don’t know when

Many of us can remember when grocery stores didn’t have scanners. Those days are definitely gone, but the ubiquity of the scanner doesn’t equate to permanence. Today we might not be able to conceive of the end of barcodes but it’s a safe guess it will happen eventually.

Has Toshiba shown us the future? Does this scanner spell the end of barcodes? Well, maybe a glimpse into the fact that there is a future.

 

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3db Barcode Testimonial

Our company (an advanced software company) recently worked with Barcode Test to source a barcode verifier.  Not long ago, we were awarded a contract requiring products to be marked with IUIDs in accordance with MIL-STD-130.  For that standard, marking labels must pass a verification test that evaluates many variables (contrast, size, clarity, syntax, modularity, and more).  After a thorough search, we reduced our options to a select few.

In our search for a verifier, the Axicon line caught our attention.  Barcode Test is our regional reseller for this product.   From the beginning, they were very prompt with their responses.  We ended up having a quick call with John Nachtrieb to go over our needs.  John was extremely easy to work with and provided a lot of great information.  He was very knowledgeable on the matter and was quick to offer up a demo unit (free of charge).

Upon receiving the demo verifier and testing it, a few questions arose.  John joined a call with us and answered all our questions.  Ultimately, the Axicon verifier wasn’t the best fit for us, so we shipped the demo back.  John was completely understanding.  A few weeks later, Barcode Test reached back out with another possible verifier for us to try.  While they didn’t sell that brand, they just wanted to help us find the best option that met our needs. They even offered to send us the unit that they have in-house to see if it worked to our liking. 

Barcode Test is truly a great company to work with.  Their service and willingness to help the customer are far beyond what you typically get from other companies.  They are experts in barcode quality assurance and seem willing to help in any way they can (even if that means not getting a sale and recommending another option that better fits the customer’s needs).  If anyone is in the market for barcode verification/scanning services or products, I would highly recommend giving Barcode Test a call.

Regards,

Production Manager