Barcode Scanner

Beep! Hello there! My name is Barcode Scanner. You can find me at the grocery store where all the yummy food is. When your grown-up brings snacks and toys to the counter, I get to say hello. Beep! That’s my special sound. I make that noise when I shine my little red light on the special black and white stripes on your things. It’s my job to read those stripes really fast. I tell the computer what you are getting so you can take it home. I love to beep, beep, beep all day long. It's my favorite thing to do.

I wasn't always here to help. A long, long time ago, my friends Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver had a wonderful idea. They saw people waiting in long, long lines at the store and felt a little sad for them. They wanted to make shopping faster and more fun for everyone. One day, Norman was sitting on a sandy beach. He thought about a code made of dots and dashes and started drawing lines in the sand with his fingers. He drew thick lines and thin lines, just like the ones you see on your cereal box. That was it! That was the big idea that made me. Those lines in the sand became my special stripes.

My very first job was on a warm, sunny day, June 26th, 1974. I was so excited! The first thing I ever scanned was a pack of yummy chewing gum. Beep! I did it! Everyone was so happy because I was so fast. From that day on, I started helping in stores everywhere. No more waiting in super long lines. Now, I get to help you and your family every time you shop. I love making my happy beep sound so you can get your treats and toys and hurry home to have fun and play. Helping you is the best job in the world.