Challenge
Automate the data mining process on a voting machine’s results.
Solution
A TwinCat label rewinder, a Cognex DataMan 70, and a registration sensor.
Story
EMP was brought in by a local voting machine manufacturer to improve its data mining process. Individual results need to be stored and easily accessed, so as votes are cast they are printed onto a continuous roll of paper. When the roll is complete it is stored, allowing for manual inspection if a specific vote needs to be referenced.
EMP was challenged to automate that process. Each voter printout contains a line for every selection and a barcode at the end holding all of the data from that ballot. The engineers at EMP knew the barcode was the key, and designed a system around a label rewinder that could quickly read each code.
They used the TwinCat rewinder from LabelMate with a Cognex DataMan 70. The customer’s .NET program tells the reader which barcode to look for. The roll of results is placed on the rewinder and pulled over two metal shafts to keep the paper taut. A foot pedal controls the rewinder: as the operator presses it, the roll unwinds and the scanner reads each barcode as it passes until the correct one is found, then the machine stops so the records can be verified.
Finally, the customer wanted to tell the difference between a missing barcode and a damaged one. EMP added a registration mark: a trigger sensor spots the mark and tells the reader when to scan, so the program can determine whether a barcode is damaged or missing altogether.
The solution has greatly reduced the time needed to mine voter data. If you have a process you would like to automate, reach out to EMP today.
