As stated on the site, Barcode Plantage transforms a simple product bar code
into a unique tree in the garden of globalization. Everyone knows that the
bar code is used to facilitate the cashing and recording of goods in stores.
But which information is actually encoded within the bar code? A simple
answer to this question can be found at one of the product databases on the
Internet, which are basically huge networks of national code datasets.
Keying in the 8, 12 or 13 digit figures of a bar code into an international
code database, returns information on the manufacturer and the country of
origin of the product. Moreover, each bar code is assigned to only one
product worldwide, but these individual details are hardly visible to the
naked eye.Taking advantage of this rich pool of information Barcode
Plantage creates a series of visualizations based on a set of default bar
codes. Once a bar code is keyed or scanned in, the program sends a request
to the database, which returns a master file data. This master file data is
then analysed to define positions, curves and colours of Bezier curves of
the tree structure. The number of these curves will vary correspondence to
the number of figures in the code. Simultaneously, the user will hear a
melody, which is based on the figures of the bar code. To complete the
visualised information details of the country of origin, manufacturer,
product number and sum - each on a single black bar connected by fine lines
? are displayed. Since all data is being interpreted by an algorithm that
works completely without any random aspect each product is represented by a
characteristic and singular tree.
