Following is a brief history of the origins of bar coding:
1934: Not exactly a barcode but a precursor based on a light sensitive and
response technique. Purists may not agree but engineering types
would say this concept was the first! Patent granted to John
Kermode, Douglas Young and Harry Sparks.
1949: First Bar Code patent was issued to Bernard Silver and M.J. Woodland.
This was the “Bull’s Eye Code.”
1961: Sylvania General installed the first bar code scanner on the Boston &
Maine railroad. The scanner read red, white, blue and black bars.
1968: Dave Collins founded Computer Identics, the first
bar code only company.
1971: General Motors installed a $10,000 fixed-position helium-neon
laser scanner.
1971: Al Wurz bought Magnavox’s General Atronics division. It was
renamed Accu-Sort.
1971: Norand released first hand held wand scanner.
1971: Monarch Marking Systems developed Codabar.
1971: AIM was founded with four companies.
1971: NCR released Color Bar Code.
1972: Kroger in Cincinnati installed the first retail scanning system.
1972: Dr. David Allais of Intermec developed Interleaved 2 of 5.
1973: The Universal Product Code (UPC) standard was announced.
1974: NCR installed the first UPC scanning system at Marsh’s Supermarket in
Troy, OH. A pack of Wrigley’s gum was the first item scanned.
1974: Dr. David Allais and Ray Stevens of Intermec developed Code 39.
1976: The National Retail Merchant’s Association (NRMA) chose OCR as a
standard. It took ten more years before they switched to UPC.
1977: George Goldberg publishes the first issue of Scan Newsletter.
1977: New York marathon uses bar coding for scoring purposes.
1980: Sato introduced the first thermal transfer printer.
1980: RFID is invented.
1981: The first issue of Bar Code News is published.
1981: Norand releases the first CCD scanner.
1981: Code 128 is introduced by Computer Identics.
1981: UPC-EAN Shipping Container symbol originated.
1982: The DoD releases MIL STD 1189 utilizing Code 39.
1982: Symbol Technologies releases the first truly successful handheld
laser scanner.
1982: The inaugural Scan-Tech is held in Dallas with tabletop displays.
1983: ANSI releases the first three national standards: Code 39, Codabar and
Interleaved 2 of 5.
1983: Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) adopts
bar code standards that utilize Code 39.
1984: The first Scan-Tech in Europe was held in The Netherlands.
1984: The health industry (HIBCC) establishes Code 39 as their standard.
1985: The first issue of Automatic ID News is published.
1985: The Federation of Automated Coding Technologies (FACT)
is formulated.
1986: The first ID Expo is held in San Francisco.
1987: Dr. James Fales opens The Center for Automatic Identification at
Ohio University.
1988: Data Matrix code symbol was released.
1988: Delta Services was founded.
1989: FACT approves the initial Data Identifier standard.
1990: Symbol Technologies announces a two-dimensional code called
PDF 417.
1994: ISBT 128 global standard issued for blood, tissue and cellular therapy.
1994: The first QR code system was released in 1994 by the Japanese
company Denso Wave, a Toyota subsidiary.
1997: AIDC 100 was formed.
Obviously, there are many other milestones over the past 50 plus years. The
aforementioned are just a few of the key events that took place in the earlier
era of automatic identification.
Bottom line, it is very difficult to imagine our lives today without the use of Bar Code technology. Not only is it beneficial to us, but industry as a whole survives and grows. As an example, Amazon could not possibly function as they do without bar coding. Lives are saved in the health industry with its' use. We don't even think about it as we purchase items in a supermarket. This dialogue could go on and on. The future promises even more!
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