Lithium-Ion Alternatives Enable Environmentally Friendly Barcode Scanning
Innovation in portable power sources has led to the development of the first battery-free yet wireless handheld barcode scanner. Eliminating the battery results in a green, environmentally friendly scanner that frees organizations from having to purchase, maintain and properly dispose of batteries. With no battery in the scanner, there are:
- No need to purchase and store replacement batteries;
- No special handling requirements for battery shipment, recycling, or disposal;
- No downtime spent replacing batteries
- An opportunity to showcase your organization’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Battery-Free Scanner
The first battery-free scanner was developed by adapting supercapacitors (i.e. ultracapacitors); power sources that are commonly used in industrial products. Supercapacitors are reliable, safe, and environmentally friendly. Previously, they were too large for handheld products, but Honeywell adapted and refined the technology for use in barcode scanners.
Scanners powered by supercapacitors plug and play with existing host systems and software applications just like their traditional battery-powered versions, feature the same scanning performance and ability to read challenging barcodes—but don’t require the 2 same battery maintenance and replacement costs typically required of battery-powered scanners. A ‘green’ scanner highlights an organization’s commitment to environmental sustainability. There is no need to sacrifice performance to gain these benefits because supercapacitors do not add weight to the scanner, change its ergonomics or limit barcode reading ability. And because these scanners fully recharge in mere seconds, not hours like traditional battery-powered scanners, downtime associated with a scanner that might be out of commission due to a dead battery is now a thing of the past.
This white paper provides a brief overview of supercapacitor power sources, explains the benefits and limitations of using supercapacitor-powered scanners at point-of-sale and other use cases, and highlights the important performance, cost, and environmental differences between battery-powered and supercapacitor-powered scanners in retail environments.