How to barcode scanners instantly detect what an item is, despite the barcode being at any angle and often on a crinkled surface, completeley changing the look of the code from the scanner’s perspective?

Question

How to barcode scanners instantly detect what an item is, despite the barcode being at any angle and often on a crinkled surface, completeley changing the look of the code from the scanner’s perspective?

In: Technology

Answer 1

The lasers that read the barcode hit it from many angles and scan it very quickly. Also barcodes have something like a checksum, where it’s easy to recognize if the data that was read is garbage and needs to be read again. That’s why when using hand scanners, like at the grocery store, sometimes it scans a valid item very quickly, and somtimes it takes a while.

The built-in scanners in the checkout lanes have lasers that shot from the sides and from the bottom.