Chapter 1: The Ubiquitous Barcode

Every item you buy in a store, every book borrowed from a library, and every airline ticket comes with a barcode. This unassuming code, composed of a series of thick and thin black lines, is a remarkable piece of technology that has become indispensable in our daily lives.

The Birth of the Barcode

Strangely enough, the first barcode was conceived in the sand by Joe Woodland in January 1949 while at Miami Beach. His friend Bernard “Bob” Silver had heard a supermarket manager lamenting the slow checkout process and suggested they find a solution. Woodland, inspired by Morse Code, sketched lines in the sand, envisioning a new form of coding.

In a flash of creativity, he transformed the idea into a bullseye-shaped barcode, leading him and Silver to file a patent in 1952. However, technology had not yet caught up with their vision, leaving the invention in limbo.

A Breakthrough with Lasers

The invention of the laser in 1960 was a game-changer, providing a powerful tool to read barcodes on various surfaces. Initially, lasers were not considered for this purpose, but their potential became evident when the grocery chain Kroger sought to tackle checkout delays two decades later.

In 1966, researchers at RCA revisited Woodland and Silver’s patent but struggled with the circular design. Once they perfected the printing process, they successfully tested the bullseye barcode along with laser scanning in 1972.

An Industry-Wide Initiative

Recognizing the barcode's potential, the grocery sector formed an "Ad Hoc Committee of the Universal Product Identification Code." Their mission was to create a Universal Product Code (UPC) that could be universally printed across all products, embedding vital information about items and manufacturers.

Seven companies, including RCA, competed for this project, but IBM, which had employed Woodland, ultimately succeeded with a rectangular barcode designed by George Laurer. The UPC was established with strict specifications, including size, readability, and error rates.

A Landmark Moment

Despite its endorsement by the industry, the UPC didn't gain immediate traction. The first commercial application occurred at Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, not a major chain. On June 26, 1974, the first item scanned was a pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Gum, marking the start of a new era in retail.

The Evolution of Barcodes

Although barcodes were initially used for freight identification in the 1960s, the UPC revolutionized retail. By the 1980s, it had become the standard for pricing and inventory control, with its data also serving market research needs.

Today, barcodes are ubiquitous, aiding logistics, product tracking, and even appearing on medications per FDA requirements. Variants like QR codes, introduced in 1994, continue to enhance marketing and packaging strategies, showcasing the enduring legacy of Woodland's initial lines in the sand.

The following video, How the Barcode Became An Integral Part of Our Lives | The Lightbulb Moment, delves into the significance of barcodes in our daily transactions and their impact on commerce.

In the video The Team that Invented the Barcode with Paul McEnroe, discover the story behind the creators of the barcode and how their invention transformed retail.

Sources

Scandit, “Barcode History: 9 Things You Didn’t Know About Barcodes,” Scandit.com, Mar. 19, 2012

Weightman, Gavin. 2015. “The History of the Bar Code,” Smithsonian Magazine, Sep. 23, 2015

Weightman, Gavin. Eureka: How Invention Happens. Yale University Press, Connecticut, 2015