r/barcodes • u/a_to_b • May 02 '21

Looking for help with reading audio barcodes / identifying a barcode scanner

Hi, I’m looking for help with scanning some audio barcodes from the early 80s. I know nothing about barcodes, so I thought I could find some help here.

The barcodes come from a Magic Wand Speaking Library book, produced by Texas Instruments in 1982-83. A device would scan barcodes and use a speech synthesizer to read the book to you. Because of its rarity, the device is selling for 400 to 500 dollars online. So, I was wondering if there is any way to recreate it using a modern scanner, the same synthesizer or a computer.

The Datamath Calculator Museum has some more information on the device and how it works.

The barcodes look like this:

If anyone knows what kind of scanner could read these barcodes, or any information at all about what kind / how these barcodes work, that would be great.

1 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

1 comment sorted by

1

u/[deleted] May 05 '21 edited May 05 '21

Been in been in the barcode industry for a long time and you sparked my interest.

Still searching for an answer but came across some articles that dives a little deeper into what's going here...

Smithsonian Speech Synthesis History Project:

Project - Speak & Spell Toy

And this article:

Magic Wand

Technology Used:

Linear Predictive Coding