Cognex Corporation has received an order from Kiva Systems for 140 of its new DataMan 500 barcode readers. Kiva, a leading provider of warehouse automation systems, will integrate these image-based barcode readers into a sophisticated, automated order fulfillment system being designed for a large medical device manufacturer.

The DataMan 500 systems will read barcodes on product packaging to ensure that the right items are shipped to the right destination, and to collect data for instant inventory management. Kiva selected the DataMan 500 readers because they can read barcodes both more accurately and more quickly than traditional laser-based barcode readers, even when the codes are highly degraded due to poor printing or handling.

"The DataMan 500 offered a significant productivity advantage for this project," said Dr. Robert J. Shillman, Chairman of Cognex. "In this particular application, each package being scanned can have as many as seven different barcodes on it. The DataMan 500 will read all of those barcodes in a single view versus laser scanners which would require the operator to pass the package in front of a laser scanner multiple times...once for each code that is present. The result is a big boost in throughput and handling efficiency with DataMan."

The DataMan 500 is an advanced barcode reader that combines the high performance of image-based readers with the ease-of-use and low cost of laser scanners. The DataMan 500 offers consistent, reliable reading of 1-D barcodes that lasers cannot read, such as codes that are damaged, distorted, blurred, scratched, low height and low contrast, and codes presented in random orientation. And, unlike traditional laser-based systems, the DataMan 500 can also read the newer 2-D codes, such as Data Matrix and QR codes, and can simultaneously read multiple codes that are in the same image. With no moving parts to wear out, the DataMan 500 also offers exceptional reliability, lower maintenance, and longer product life.