We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » Barcode pioneer David Collins dies at 86

Barcode pioneer David Collins dies at 86

Inventor created earliest automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) systems and popularized barcode for wide use.

Dave Collins-1.jpeg
April 14, 2022
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
No Comments

The logistics industry is noting the loss of a pioneer in the area of automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) with the news that David Collins, who led the development of the first commercially successful barcode scanners and was widely considered the “father of the barcode industry,” died in March.

According to his obituary, Collins was 86 and died of complications from ALS. His career began when Collins joined Sylvania Electric Products at its Applied Research Lab in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1959 and created a system to track railroad cars labeled with a pattern of red, white, blue, and black bars. Bolted to the side of railroad cars on three-foot tall metal plates, these early “bar codes” could be read by laser scanners positioned along the tracks, accurately identifying the cars as they sped by.

By 1968, Collins left the firm to found his own company, Computer Identics Corp., and soon developed the first black and white barcodes, as well as the laser scanners capable of reading them. Early commercial applications included automobile manufacturing and package delivery.

After he stepped away from day-to-day management of Computer Identics in 1987, Collins formed a consulting firm called Data Capture Institute where he helped spread the technology to additional users such as large corporations and U.S. government branches like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Department of Defense, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Collins also contributed to the logistics sector by co-founding the Automatic Identification Manufacturers (AIM) trade association in 1971, helping to standardize the technology throughout the world, industry veteran John Hill said in a statement. In 1992 he received AIM’s Dilling Award that recognizes executives, scientists, and engineers for outstanding contributions to accelerating industry growth, and was elected in 1997 as a charter member of AIDC 100, an organization of automatic identification entrepreneurs and users, Hill said.

Technology
KEYWORDS AIM Global
  • Related Articles

    Pioneer of the profession Bud La Londe dies at 84

    Long-time supply chain thought leader Art van Bodegraven dies at age 78

    Logistics executive Richard Murphy dies at 67

Recent Articles by Supply Chain Quarterly Staff

Freightos completes plan to go public on NASDAQ exchange, raises $80 million

Retailers lose visibility as they outsource last-mile delivery, FarEye says

WiseTech buys New Hampshire drayage and trucking visibility software firm for $230 million

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Forecasts call for freight rate slumps in 2023

  • Projected U.S. recession in early 2023 will soften freight market

  • Inflation drops again as interest rate hikes hit home, NRF says

  • How to avoid the next crisis: A new approach to supply chain agility

  • Five levers to build a resilient supply chain

Featured Video

20221107korber large vs

Enhancing Customer Experience with Your Supply Chain Strategy

Viewer Contributed
With the rise of e-commerce, many businesses have had to transform their warehouses to handle online orders in addition to regularly scheduled inventory shipments. This means warehouses need more information than ever before to ensure they can meet customers' needs. As a result, companies need to select warehouse...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Guide to Pallet Rack Safety

  • 3PLs: Complete Orders Faster with Flexible Automation

  • A shipper's guide to navigating post-pandemic holiday freight

  • THE NEW WAY TO WAREHOUSE: 4 Innovations in Automation & Robotics to Boost Warehouse Productivity

View More

Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

Get Your Subscription
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • E-NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing