The first physical representation of the barcode was drawn by Norman Joseph Woodland as lines in the sand on Miami Beach. He was in search of a code that would both speed up checkout services and simplify stocktaking and inventory management. Interestingly enough, Woodland was inspired by Morse Code he had learned in Boy Scouts:
I remember I was thinking about dots and dashes when I poked my four fingers into the sand and, for whatever reason – I didn’t know- I pulled my hand toward me and I had four lines. I said ‘Golly! Now I have four lines and they could be wide lines and narrow lines, instead of dots and dashes. Now I have a better chance of finding the doggone thing.’ Then, only seconds later, I took my four finger-they were still in the sand- and I swept them round into a circle. (Gavin Weightman, “The History of Bar Code”.
Smithsonian Magazine, September 23, 2015)
He swept the lines round into a circle in an effort to create a “bullseye” that could be scanned in any direction. This was the birth of the Bullseye Barcode that later became UPC (Universal Product Code), first used in 1974 and still used today. It is the system that supports and maintains the everyday retail and grocery stocking and shopping experience. As far as alternatives, there are little to none that have done better. QR codes have recently come into play and may change the way we digitally interact with the physical world, but they are still considered a type of 2D barcode.
For this project, our blog site will focus on major topics such as: the antecedents of the barcode and why a desire for it existed, the invention/inventor of the barcode, its effects on grocery and retail and how the mechanization of retail was both influenced by and an influencer of the barcode, as well as its modern day implications and possible applications in the future. In the beginning the blog may represent a sort of timeline that describes major events throughout the history of the barcode. Our documentary is still uncertain, but we have had ideas to visit a grocery store and perform a skit that re-enacts the early days of UPC in a Troy, Ohio supermarket. We will most likely be using iMovie and iPhones to achieve this, but may look into video equipment rental.
Our group decided to research barcode because of our initial lack of understanding of barcode; its American conception, retail/grocery significance, and evolution into dozens of types of barcode, including QR. We believe barcode is a massive part of our daily lives that we take for granted and is integral to not only America, but the global market and trade. Our goal is to provide ourselves, our peers, our professor, and greater society with a resource that culminates critical information about barcodes into an easily accessible environment that fosters learning about this influential American technology.
Annotated Bibliography
Adams, Russ. n.d. “BarCode 1 FAQ.” Accessed September 25, 2019. http://www.adams1.com/new.html
In depth website that has information about how barcodes are used and frequently asked questions about barcodes. Information on different types of barcodes and their respective uses.
Bown, Stephen. n.d. “A History of the Bar Code.” Accessed September 25, 2019. https://eh.net/encyclopedia/a-history-of-the-bar-code/
Brief history of the barcode. Includes implementation of Universal Product Code (UPC) and the impact of the barcode.
Bryant, Chuck, and Josh Clark. 2019. “How Barcodes Work.” Stuff You Should Know. June 4, 2019. https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/how-barcodes-work.htm
Podcast about all things that have to do with barcodes, and how revolutionary they were in the consumer industry.
“How a Barcode Reader Works | TALtech.” n.d. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://www.taltech.com/barcodesoftware/articles/how_barcode_reader_works
Technical information on how barcode scanning process is done by equipment. GIF of process from the laser scanner.
“Http://Www.Patentplaques-Blog.Com/When-Was-Bar-Code-Patented/.” n.d. Accessed September 25, 2019. http://www.patentplaques-blog.com/when-was-bar-code-patented/
Information on the barcode patent, and where the inspiration behind the barcode.
“IBM100 – UPC.” 2012. CTB14. March 7, 2012. http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/icons/upc/
The importance of the barcode in a shopping experience. It also describes the first purchase of an item using the barcode.
“N. Joseph Woodland Papers · SOVA.” n.d. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://sova.si.edu/record/NMAH.AC.1433
Information on the notes of from the barcode inventors, Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver. Original documents from Woodland’s career.
Rojal. n.d. “Barcode PNG Transparent Images | PNG All.” Accessed September 25, 2019. http://www.pngall.com/barcode-png
Barcode png used for website.
“Rosistem Barcode – Barcode Education.” n.d. Accessed September 25, 2019a. https://www.barcode.ro/tutorials/barcodes/history.html
History of the creation of the barcode and and commercialization of the barcode.
“Rosistem Barcode – Barcode Education.” ———. n.d. Accessed September 25, 2019b. https://www.barcode.ro/tutorials/barcodes/history.html.
Schweber, Bill. 2017. “Bars and Stripes Forever: How Bar Codes Changed Supply Chains | Engineering360.” January 18, 2017. https://insights.globalspec.com/article/4033/bars-and-stripes-forever-how-bar-codes-changed-supply-chains
Impact that barcodes had on consumerism and how we shop today.
“Snapshot.” n.d. Accessed September 25, 2019. https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/how-barcodes-work.htm.
“US2612994-Drawings-Page-1.Png (2320×3408).” n.d. Accessed September 18, 2019. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/7c/8f/da/a94cbfbce1bd99/US2612994-drawings-page-1.png
Original Patent from USPTO office.
Weightman, Gavin. 2015. “The History of the Bar Code.” Smithsonian. September 23, 2015. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/history-bar-code-180956704/
History of the barcode and original photographs, talks about the initial difficulty the original barcode faced.
Woodford, Chris. n.d. “How Do Barcodes and Barcode Scanners Work?” Explain That Stuff. Accessed September 25, 2019a. http://www.explainthatstuff.com/barcodescanners.html
Barcode technical use, how the individual lines of a barcode are interpreted by a scanner.
———. n.d. “How QR Codes (and Other 2D Barcodes) Work.” Explain That Stuff. Accessed September 25, 2019b. http://www.explainthatstuff.com/how-data-matrix-codes-work.html
Differences between 2D barcodes and newer QR codes. The article compares advantages of both forms of codes.
Woodland, Norman J., and Silver Bernard. 1952. Classifying apparatus and method. United States US2612994A, filed October 20, 1949, and issued October 7, 1952. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2612994/en?oq=Classifying+Apparatus+and+Method
Original barcode patent filed to USPTO from Norman Woodland and Silver Bernard.
Basker, Emek. “Raising the Barcode Scanner: Technology and Productivity in the Retail Sector.” Accessed September 24, 2019. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23269728?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=history&searchText=of&searchText=barcodes&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FsearchType%3DfacetSearch%26amp%3Bsd%3D%26amp%3Bed%3D%26amp%3Bdisc_economics-discipline_facet%3DZWNvbm9taWNzLWRpc2NpcGxpbmU%253D%26amp%3BQuery%3Dhistory%2Bof%2Bbarcodes&ab_segments=0%2Fl2b_100k_with_tbsub%2Fcontrol&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Baron, Steve and Lock, Andrew. “The Challenges of Scanner Data.” Accessed September 24, 2019. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2583835?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=barcode&searchText=scanner&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dbarcode%2Bscanner&ab_segments=0%2Fl2b_100k_with_tbsub%2Fcontrol&refreqid=search%3A195750bfc48153587dda5344f3ca23b6&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Barcodes, Inc. “History of Barcodes.” Accessed September 24, 2019. https://www.barcodesinc.com/articles/history.htm
Digimarc. “History of the Barcode.” Accessed September 24, 2019. https://www.digimarc.com/resources/history-barcode