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*Statistics from http://www.birchwoodenterprises.com/a2bnews/A2B_Barcode_TimelineHiRes_withlinks.pdf

THE HISTORY OF BARCODESFrom the first bull’s-eye barcode to the future of RFID, barcode scanning technology has es-tablished itself as an integral part of our lives. But do you know the history? In 1967, SICK released its first bar code identification system. The first UPC, Universal Product Code, was implemented in a U.S. grocery store in 1974. A pack of chewing gum was the first item ever scanned. Learn more cool facts about the past, present, and future of barcodes!

Barcodes were originally developed and implemented to improve processes. They have now become an integral way for businesses to ensure quality, improve efficiency and manage inventory.

Below are examples of emerging uses of 2D barcodes and RFID technology. We can expect to see 2D barcodes increase and expand to other brands and industries, and the future of RFID is promising although there is still a long way to go.

One manufacturer of packaged food uses 2D barcodes to track product expirations so that no expired products end up on store shelves.

RFID can identify the items in a bin without opening a container and scanning the contents individually.

A snack foods company is using 2D to embed information about where the snack’s contents are from to more quickly identify products in case of a recall.

Visit SICK USA’s blog for the full two-part post of the History of Barcodes, www.sickusablog.com

RFID

1952Joe Woodland and Bernie Silver patent a bull’s-eye barcode - appropriately named for its circular shape.

1974The first 1D barcode is used to scan a pack of gum. IBM engineer George Laurer is credited with developing the 1D barcode. 1977

Barcode scanners start to appear in grocery stores. By 1980 the barcode is being adopted by 8000 stores each year.* 1994

2000sRetailers are recognizing the benefits of RFID systems that enable identification without contact between reader and object. .

2D barcodes are introduced with the invention of checkerboard symbology Data Matrix by Data Matrix, Inc.*

represent data using parallel lines of varying widths and spacing. 1D codes hold about 20 characters.

1D BARCODES

use rectangles, dots, hexagons, and patterns and can contain 100x the information of 1D barcodes.

2D codes can import data from databases and efficiently integrate with existing tracking methods.

require no visual contact between reader and object. Benefits include read/write, high read rates, and encrypted data.

2D BARCODES

RFID CODES

3 COMMON CODE TYPES

BARCODE HISTORY

INTO THE FUTURE