Norman Woodland and Bernard Silver invented the barcode in the 1950s. They were inspired by a shopkeeper's request for an easier way to track stock levels and prices. The barcode is a 1D barcode that can be scanned in one direction to read information encoded in black lines of varying widths. Woodland and Silver were granted a patent for their invention in 1952 but it took over 20 years for the barcode to be widely adopted, once laser scanners were invented in the 1960s, enabling automated barcode scanning. The first commercial barcode scanning took place in 1974.

1. Norman Joseph Woodland & Bernard Silver
They invented something
so useful
we see it everyday
on everything
???

2. Norman Woodland ...
•was a boy scout and
•a code fanatic
•he learned Morse code when he was a scout

3. Norman Woodland
•
•
was an engineering student
was in a village store when …..

4. He heard the shop keeper asking for….

5. An easy way to …..
• register stock
• control stock
• change prices easily
What did Norman Woodland and Bernard
Silver invent?

7. This is called a
???

8. This barcode is ?
1. 1D
2. 2D
3. UPC

9. Solution ?
1D - information can be
read in One direction
UPC - Universal Product
Code

10. This barcode can contain how much
information?
1. 20 characters
2. 150 characters
3. 500+ characters
4. 1,000+ characters

11. The inventors of the barcode got
their patent in ...
1. 1965
2. 1952
3. 1975

12. The inventors of the barcode became
millionaires?
True or False ?

13. They sold their invention for ….
1. $15,000
2. $500,000
3. Enough money for them to retire for ever!

14. Their invention was not used for 20
years …….
Why?
What invention didn’t exist ?

16. To use a barcode you need a laser!
The first laser was invented in 1962 …...

17. The first article was scanned in a shop in ….
1. 1967
2. 1983
3. 1974
4. 1978

18. What was the first article scanned?
It cost 67 cents

20. What can you remember?
1. Who invented the bar code ?
2. When did they get the patent?
3. What invention is necessary to use a barcode?
4. How much money did this invention make for the
inventors?
5. What was the first article scanned and when?

21. What can you remember ?
1. How much information can a barcode contain
on average ?
1. What does UPC mean?
1. Is a barcode 1D 2D or 3D - this means ?