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The Supermarket Scanner Changed the Way We Buy Groceries Forever. Invented 50 years ago, the curious box deciphered an arcane kind of code to offer shoppers a trip into the future.
Invented 50 years ago, the curious box deciphered an arcane kind of code to offer shoppers a trip into the future
Speaking to the Troy Daily News, the store manager at Marsh’s declared a victory for all shoppers: “This system will eliminate cashier error, and it also ensures the customer that she is getting the full advantage of price breaks on items which are sold in multiples.” In no time at all, the machine’s photo-diodes then translated the reflected light and directed the deciphered data to an in-store computer, which matched the incoming signal with a product description and price. According to Hal Wallace, curator of electricity collections at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, each scanner was cumbersome and cost Marsh $4,000, or around $25,000 today, plus expenses for installation and training.
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