A really cheap data matrix code reader

Code readers, from companies like Microscan and Cognex, are not that expensive, but if $2,000 or so breaks the bank, why not build your own?

Well if your time is free it might be worth doing, otherwise I’m not sure I see the point, but there is an army of robotics hobbyists out there who are fired up by the challenge of doing clever things with opensource software, so guys, this is for you.

In “How to Build an Open Source Vision Sensor” (Vision & Sensors, September 1, 2010) Anthony Oliver sets out a step-by-step tutorial. I’m not one of those Linux programming enthusiasts, but this short paper has almost inspired me to give it a go. If you’re curious about developing machine vision without spending a ton of money with the big vendors, and you have a little time on your hands, why not give it a try?

I’m curious to hear how you get on, so don’t forget to email me pictures and comments!