The Handheld Group seeks to revolutionize high-volume logistics efficiency with a clever all-in-one wearable computer/scanner/printer
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

On August 18, 2021, Swedish Handheld Group announced the SP500X ScanPrinter, a wearable device that brings, according to Handheld, revolutionary technology and efficiency to logistics operations. With this device, Handheld is also launching a new segment to its lineup of rugged computers: rugged wearables.

What is the SP500X and what does it do? In essence, it combines a small computer, an industrial-grade scanner and a printer into one wearable device that weighs just 15 ounces and is worn on one's hand. It's geared towards high-volume shipping operations where hundreds or thousands of packages come and go every day. Here's what it looks like in operation:

And below is what the SP500X — which can do over 6,000 scans and prints in four hours on a single charge — looks like from the top, front, back and side:

So what we have here is device that contains an ARM Cortex-powered computer with WiFi and Bluetooth, a little screen and 3-button keypad, a Honeywell N6603 1D/2D imager, an inkjet printer and its cartridge, and a warm-swappable 15.2 watt-hour battery.

Here's what the SP500X is and is not:

It IS a device that has the potential to turbo-charge a crucial part of high-volume logistics operations and significantly enhance productivity. It IS a promising solution to what often is the bottleneck in warehouse management systems — the manual scanning and labeling of packages.

It is NOT a conventional handheld computer. It doesn't use Android or Windows. Instead, it is based on MicroPython, a small version of the Python programming language used to run all sorts of dedicated hardware. A MicroPython software development kit serves to tailor the SP500X to customer workflows and work with their warehouse management systems.

The SP500X also isn't a conventional label printer. Instead, it prints — an address, a code, or whatever other information is required — directly on the package in high-visibility cyan, be it plain or kraft paper, packing tape, coated labels, polypropylene, polyester or polyethylene plastic. We are NOT talking multi-purpose handheld with Google Play on it. This is for WORK.

And here's the idea of how the SP500X works in a high-volume logistics operation:

• operator scans a package
• scanner sends data to backend system
• backend system looks up data
• backend system sends back information for printing
• operator prints address, code, or other info directly on the package