A scanner or scanner is a technological device that is responsible for obtaining images, signals or information from all kinds of objects.
The input device that allows digitizing images, data, signals and other information is called a scanner in order to read it and make use of it for various purposes.
One of the best known is the computer or computer scanner, which is used to digitize images and data from papers, books, photographs, slides and all kinds of objects. Operating similar to that of a photocopier, the scanner is responsible for "reading" that information visible on the object in order to introduce it to a computer system for later use. For example, digitizing photographs taken with analog devices to modify them with image editing programs.
There are also 3D scanners that are used to obtain images of three-dimensional objects.
The barcode scanner or scanner it is also very well known and popular. It is used mainly in shops, supermarkets and other businesses and is used to record the acquisition of a certain product, revealing its price and characteristics on a computer available to the seller. Typically, the scanner reads a barcode present on the product, which provides it with the required information. After reading the code, the scanner produces a sound to confirm that the reading has been correct.
Other scanners are present in medicine and are used to obtain anatomical images from devices such as CT or PET.
There are also many other more sophisticated scanners. For example, those that are used for security reasons. At an airport or customs, for example, a scanner can detect metals or explosives in each passenger's luggage, producing an approximate image of the contents of a suitcase. Another case is that of information or protected content that requires a biometric identification of the person authorized to access them. In these cases, the iris, retina or fingerprint scanner allows the identity of the entrant to be recognized.
