Barcode Scanner

A barcode scanner, or barcode reader, is an optical scanner that reads printed barcodes and sends the data they encode to a computer, working much like a flatbed scanner by shining a light source onto the barcode, focusing the reflected light through a lens onto a light sensor, and decoding the resulting electrical signal into the barcodes information. Barcode scanners take several technical forms, including pen-type readers, laser scanners, and CCD or camera-based readers, and are used at retail checkouts, in warehouses and in shipping and inventory systems worldwide to read the Universal Product Code and other barcode formats quickly and reliably. By automating the identification of products and packages, the barcode scanner replaced manual price entry and record keeping across retail and logistics.