Datalogic: a Vision of the Future at MODEX 2026

AI has taken hold of the automation world over the past couple of years, and one application has emerged as a winning recipient of this technology breakthrough: machine vision, and its transition from "sight" to "insight." At MODEX, Datalogic gave a clear demonstration of exactly how this technology is improving supply chain operations with fixed and handheld products.

Datalogic wasn’t simply showcasing scanners; they designed a high-speed product conveyance system, demonstrating new vision products along with many options for equipping employees and machines with the most advanced ‘eyes’ on the market.

High-Speed Barcode Sorting

As ironic as it may seem, one of the most important tasks in all of supply chain and material handling is also one of the simplest to describe. “Just read the label.” Come to think of it, that would probably solve most of the problems in our entire lives. But in today’s automated world, this is much easier said than done, because of the variables that exist in real-world physics of motion.

Datalogic presented high-speed vision that enables high-speed product throughput.

When packages are placed on a line for processing, the light, angle, and speed all influence the visibility. Add in possible label defects, various types of packages and label materials, and differences between global label standards, and suddenly the problem is obvious. Datalog approaches these problems by adding intelligence to vision; not just scanning products, but interpreting exactly what is being seen in the moment, and perhaps using this evidence to solve other challenges that led to certain discrepancies.

A Visionary Leap: Matrix 830 and 930

Datalogic highlighted the newly-launched Matrix 830 and 930 series of 2D scanners (check out our product launch article on Control.com). Most wide scanners are designed for 1D (bar) and 2D (QR style) codes, but these new systems from Datalogic provide more than just code reading. With impressive resolution and the ability to cover a conveyor belt up to one meter wide, these can perform a variety of tasks:

• Execute OCR (optical character recognition) to identify alphanumeric characters and verify proper reading of codes.
• Perform package classification to identify the type, size, and material of each package on the fly.
• Quality inspection of package damage or open box flaps before they reach an outbound shipping destination.
• Recognize special labels that might identify hazardous or uniquely labeled items that should be addressed with special parameters.

The newly-launched Matrix 830/930 vision systems in action.

Handheld Vision

While much of supply chain automation is focused on the motion of the goods (conveyors and AMRs, to name a few), it's also about the people navigating the aisles from beginning to end of the shipping process. Datalogic presented the Falcon and Skorpio, the latest generations of rugged mobile computers.

Datalogic’s Falcon and Skorpio series of handheld devices.

The Falcon series features long-range data capture that allows operators to scan tags and codes continuously for all-day operation. These handhelds work in tandem with the redesigned Skorpio series, which is designed for lighter, more ergonomic picking operations. Datalog provides an entire suite of scanning products for everything from entry to exit in a warehouse.

Seeing the Future More Clearly

MODEX may be in the rear-view mirror now, but vision systems certainly won’t lose any importance in the grand design of supply chain automation. Leaders like Datalogic will continue to define new boundaries and capabilities of 2D scanners, leveraging visual data to make each pick and each order fulfillment more efficient and faster than ever before.