Why the AI-Powered SDK 7.0 Is Transformative

Imagine a barcode.

You probably imagined just that — a single barcode. But barcodes don’t exist in a vacuum. They exist in a physical, three-dimensional world. In other words, they have context.

Barcodes in the real world don’t appear neatly one by one, perfectly printed in black and white, and at an optimum size. And users aren’t simply interacting with a screen — they’re using their device’s camera to capture real-world objects in a physical environment.

For Scandit, detecting and decoding individual barcodes (and IDs) with unparalleled speed and accuracy was only the beginning. In the new SDK 7.0, we’ve built out an enhanced scanning engine that is now context-aware and anticipates user intent.

Our smartest SDK yet can predict the barcode users want, capture all the data (and only the data) they need from labels in a single scan, and fit seamlessly into any app. It transforms any smart device with a camera into a powerful smart data capture engine that enables real-time decision-making, engagement, and workflow automation at scale.

Under the hood of the SDK 7.0

The AI-powered barcode and ID scanning in the SDK 7.0 addresses the toughest, real-world scanning challenges. Richer user experiences, increased versatility, and improved speed and accuracy eliminate costly errors and maximize efficiency. We’ve made integration even smoother, and increased flexibility and customization options.

Smart Scan Intention

Advanced AI algorithms anticipate and capture the user’s target barcode — even if there are multiple barcodes clustered in a grocery aisle or on a warehouse shelf. Even when aiming and focus are imperfect, Smart Scan Intention captures the desired barcode by pulling in contextual data such as device movement and barcode characteristics. This reduces unwanted scans by up to 100%.

Smart Label Capture

In a single scan, Smart Label Capture captures all the data users need from complex labels with multiple barcodes and text fields — such as labels containing serial numbers, weights, or expiry dates. It’s up to 7 times faster. One US company deploying it has already avoided $1.3m in revenue loss due to undercharging from incorrect label interpretation.

SparkScan

SparkScan, our flagship product for single barcode scanning, is designed to provide top performance and optimized user experience (UX) with just a few lines of code. In the SDK 7.0, it’s been updated with a fresh, minimalistic interface that seamlessly fits into any app, including those designed for B2C use. This update also introduces new customization options.

Smarter ID validation

We’ve added detection of void IDs (i.e. those with punched holes or cut corners) within ID Validate. This lets you identify expired or damaged documents without the need for a manual review or an employee present. Fake ID detection accuracy has increased to 99.9%. The UX in onboarding flows, such as driver registration, has also been enhanced, while maintaining our 1-second scanning speed.

Performance updates

There are also a host of performance updates, including 20% better battery life to extend device uptime and a 65% longer scan range for tiny barcodes. This makes it easier and more comfortable to scan electronic shelf labels (ESLs) in retail, or barcodes high on warehouse shelves. Extended platform support sees MatrixScan Batch, MatrixScan Find, and MatrixScan AR now available for web applications.

Why the Scandit SDK 7.0 matters

Imagine a barcode (again).

A pattern of black and white lines or squares, right?

That’s true — in a way. But describing a barcode like this is rather like describing your laptop as a heap of metal and plastic.

Your laptop matters not because of what it is, but what it does. The SDK 7.0 matters not because it decodes black and white patterns. It doesn’t even matter because its AI-powered, context-based scanning fundamentally transforms how barcode scanning is created and delivered.

The SDK 7.0 ultimately matters because it exposes data associated with tangible assets more intelligently than ever before, digitizing previously unreachable manual processes at the edge of organizations.

As a consumer-facing app with a community of over 60 million users, an optimal, intuitive, and friction-free scanning app is essential for Yuka. That frictionless UX is often threatened by unintentional scans, a result of the environments Yuka users scan products in, such as the store, pantry, or fridge, where barcodes are heavily prevalent. With its advanced algorithms, Scandit’s Smart Scan Intention helps eliminate this friction by understanding which barcode the user intends to scan, leading to fewer errors and more accurate scanning.

François Martin, Co-Founder and CTO of Yuka

Smart data capture is the missing link between the digital side of enterprises and the millions of physical products, packages, parts, identity documents and other items they manage.

Assets become visible along supply chains, allowing organizations to make better, faster decisions.  Previously manual data capture workflows were automated, while scanning devices and wearables became co-pilots for frontline workers and consumers, providing real-time, actionable insights.

Compliance, traceability, operational efficiency, new revenue streams, agility, the ability to be data-driven — all these depend on capturing and exposing data efficiently and accurately. With the launch of the SDK 7.0, we’re giving enterprises of every shape and size powerful new smart data capture tools to help them meet these challenges.