The Father of the Barcode

Barcode technology has transformed how we track mail, packages, and people--labeling everything from drivers' licenses to shoeboxes. The father of the barcode industry takes us back to the beginning, when barcodes were in fact the size of an entire shoebox, and the lasers that scanned them were on six-foot poles. David Collins was there in 1959 when his team was asked to help some major U.S. companies from losing inventory that you'd think would be easy to spot: railroad cars.