Barcode scanners

The challenge

In automated logistics, conveyor belts transport products labeled with barcodes and inscriptions that must be read reliably for sorting and tracking. Barcode scanning and OCR are therefore essential for correct decision-making. High conveyor speeds demand sharp imaging at full throughput, while varying product heights and distances require continuous, fast focus adjustment. Imaging systems must combine high-speed acquisition with dynamic autofocus to maintain readability under all conditions, ensuring reliable automation and maximum logistics efficiency.

Our solution

Liquid lenses and fast steering mirrors significantly enhance the performance of modern barcode readers. Liquid lenses provide millisecond-fast autofocus, ensuring accurate barcode capture even when object distance changes rapidly. Their wide working distance range, from 50 mm to infinity, supports both handheld scanners and fixed camera installations across diverse logistics and manufacturing setups. Fast steering mirrors extend the effective field of view without mechanical movement, allowing larger scan areas while eliminating wear-prone moving parts. Together, these technologies deliver faster reading, higher reliability, and greater system flexibility for high-throughput barcode scanning applications.

Why Optotune for barcode scanners

Accurate scanning with millisecond-fast focus
Large working distance range with liquid lenses from 50 mm to ∞ supporting diverse manual or fixed camera setups
Extended field of view with fast steering mirrors making moving parts obsolete
Compact size for real-estate saving
Flexible implementation of the liquid lens in the microscope

Related products

Related topics

Gigapixel imaging and field-of-view expansion combine fast steering mirrors with focus-tunable liquid lenses to capture large scenes at high resolution while maintaining sharp focus and revealing fine details across wide areas.

Find and select the right lens for your system with ease, based on camera sensor size and field of view requirements.

Find and select the right lens for your system with ease, based on camera sensor size and field of view requirements.

Videos

Related applications

Quality control

Rising quality standards drive the need for fast, in-line optical inspection across industries. Optotune liquid lenses and fast steering mirrors enable high-speed, wide-field inspection with millisecond refocusing, ensuring sharp focus and reliable defect detection on complex, height-varying surfaces without slowing production.

Get in touch with us

Not sure if our products will fit your setup? Our team is here to answer your questions. Contact us and discover how we can support you.