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Although barcodes are currently utilized mainly to keep track of merchandise, they may soon also be used to detect counterfeit goods. We're not talking about ordinary barcode labels, however. Instead, British scientists at Sofmat Ltd and the University of Bradford have devised a new 3D barcode that's actually molded into plastic or composite items.
The system utilizes tiny pins that are integrated into the mold from which the product is made. Each pin can be set to different heights via micro actuators, with each 0.4-micron increment in height corresponding to a specific letter or numeral (0 - 9). The current prototype consists of a four-pin array, allowing for over 1.7 million unique configurations.
The resulting indentations in the finished item are difficult to see and impossible to feel, yet can be read using a white light interferometer or a laser-scanning confocal microscope – a compact laser scanner is in the works, which could wirelessly transmit readings to a smartphone or tablet.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by ese002 on Wednesday September 16 2015, @01:42AM
Counterfeiting on finished goods is not a serious concern for consumers. If it looks and works like the genuine article, it is a lost sale for the vendor but the consumers does not really care and any encumbrances placed on the consumer to reduce counterfeiting will be resisted. Even if there are no encumbrances, it mostly serves to let the manufacturer off the hook for warranty claims.
Where counterfeiting is a problem is for components, especially when the product is safety related. Things get ugly when a legitimately purchased device fails because the manufacturer build the product out of counterfeit parts that did not meet spec. It is not clear that is something that can practically be used on chips and other components or it would be effective if it is used. Manufacturers can certainly afford the gear to check the bar codes. Unfortunately, electronic component counterfeiters also have substantial resources to put toward subverting the system.