VINs serve as a unique fingerprint for motorized vehicles. Standardized in 1981 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for security and identification purposes, they enable operators across the automotive industry to easily access vehicle information.
To do so, fleet managers and others look up the vehicles’ VINs in specialized online databases. However, manually typing the number off the chassis or a document is slow and error-prone.
This article explores the answer to these challenges: mobile VIN OCR scanning and VIN barcode scanning. We will also look at key sectors that can benefit from these technologies.
About VINs
A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique sequence of 17 alphanumeric digits that serves as an identity code for automotive vehicles. Many of the digits provide vehicle-specific information, like the model year. Digit 9 is a special check digit used to detect fraudulent VINs, and is compulsory for vehicles sold in the US.
A US VIN consists of three main sections:
- Digits 1-3: World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), indicating the country of origin or final assembly point, manufacturer, and region of production
- Digits 4-9: Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS), with information on the vehicle model, body type, restraint system, transmission type, and engine code, plus the check digit.
- Digits 10-17: Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS), with the year, manufacturing plant, and unique production serial number
Traditionally, Vehicle Identity Numbers were precisely that: numbers, though with some letters. However, after VINs were standardized in 1981, the use of VIN barcodes became increasingly common. They are a scannable, machine-readable counterpart to the human-readable VIN.
VINs can usually be found in the following locations:
- Top of the dashboard on the driver’s side: Easiest to see from outside the vehicle when looking through the windshield, where the hood joins the windshield
- Inside the driver’s door: Only accessible when the door is open, near the latch on the doorpost
- Near the engine block: Usually on a sticker
- On the vehicle documents
The VIN placement can differ on motorcycles and vehicles like trailers and campers.
International VIN differences
Although the basic VIN structure is standardized globally, the meaning and positioning of specific digits can differ by region, local authority, and manufacturer. A good example of this is the 9th character. In US VINs, it is always a check digit. In European VINs, the 9th character may be used differently.
However, to aid global traceability, the first character always refers to the country or region of manufacture.
VIN applications
When run through online databases, VINs enable access to comprehensive information about a vehicle’s history and characteristics. Users can look up its accident history, maintenance and service logs, as well as previous ownership records.
Because they tie these records together, VINs are valuable for various operations across and beyond the automotive industry.
Fleet management
VINs allow fleet managers to access detailed information about each vehicle. VIN information is essential for vehicle inspection reports, for instance. Managers can quickly identify vehicles affected by recalls due to reaching mileage thresholds and schedule necessary repairs – with the right parts.
Automotive dealerships and car auctions
With knowledge of a vehicle’s history, used car dealers can correctly appraise cars based on their accident history, damage sustained, maintenance history, loan and lien checks, or active recalls. Besides that, car dealers can identify stolen vehicles by cross-referencing their VINs against registers of stolen cars.
Auto repair services and body shops
Referencing the car information contained in VINs, vehicle maintenance and repair services can order correct parts specific to the vehicle’s make, model, year, and production batch. This minimizes errors in part selection and ensures repairs are in line with the vehicle’s original specifications.
Government agencies
Law enforcement officers, certified inspectors, or authorized motor vehicle department personnel can verify a vehicle’s identity and legal status with VIN inspections.
End-of-life and recycling
VINs enable recyclers to verify that vehicles are not stolen and properly documented. The vehicle history also helps them evaluate a vehicle’s condition and choose the most effective and regulatory-compliant recycling method.
During recycling itself, VINs help identify vehicles even as they are disassembled. This ensures that the correct parts are dismantled or harvested.
Extracting VINs accurately with automatic data capture
In all of these use cases, VINs have to be recorded somehow.
Transcribing a VIN’s 17 digits manually is not only error-prone and cumbersome, though. Like other vehicle parts, VINs are also affected by wear and are often located in difficult-to-reach spots.
Correcting mistakes in data entries consumes valuable time. If errors go unnoticed, they can cause problems at a later point.
This is why automatic capture of VINs is gaining traction. There are two automatic data capture methods in particular that have proven to be efficient and accurate when it comes to VIN scanning: Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and barcode scanning.
VIN OCR scanners
VIN OCR scanners are a highly accurate and fast alternative to manual VIN extraction.
They utilize Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to extract text, in this case to capture a VIN directly from the vehicle or from vehicle documents.
But how do they differ from ordinary scanners or taking a picture of the VIN?
Put simply, OCR converts images of text into machine-readable data. Some modern software specifically returns the extracted data in the form of key-value pairs. This format is ideal for automatic processing, such as lookups in a VIN online database.
All users need to do is point their VIN OCR scanner at a vehicle identification number, no manual typing required.
VIN barcode scanners
VIN barcodes are a machine-readable representation of VINs. Most often, and especially on older vehicles, VIN codes use a subset of Code 39, a common barcode type in the automotive industry.
However, the trend is towards more advanced barcode symbologies that offer a higher data density and enable additional functionalities, such as tracking. Some automotive manufacturers are now adopting 2D VIN barcodes, such as Data Matrix.
Today, VIN codes are often found on a sticker inside the driver’s door. Generally, they can be scanned with all types of barcode scanners, from traditional dedicated devices to modern barcode scanner software for smartphones or tablets.
However, a solution that can scan both the VIN itself and its barcode offers the most reliable performance in challenging settings.
Mobile VIN OCR scanning on the rise
Mobile VIN scanners combine OCR with barcode scanning technology, creating an all-around VIN scanner solution that can scan both the VIN number and the corresponding barcode.
This double functionality is useful in real-world conditions. Since VINs are often scanned through windshields, there are many complicating factors: dirt and shadows through reflecting glass, wear, and an awkward scanning angle. VIN barcodes serve as a backstop for accurate scans.
Especially on other vehicle types, such as motorcycles and trailers, VINs are often in less standardized locations or on different materials. Smooth VIN scanning requires a flexible solution that can easily switch between OCR and barcode scanning, a feature that dedicated scanners lack.
Mobile VIN OCR scanners have several advantages over dedicated scanners.
VIN scanner mobile apps can be installed on virtually any smart device, and web app versions need no install at all. They utilize the device’s camera to scan and its computing power to extract VINs and barcodes – with modern cameras and image processing techniques, they produce significantly more accurate scans.
Due to their familiar app-based user experience, mobile VIN scanners are simple to operate, meaning there is no learning curve and little need for training.
At the same time, the smart devices can be used for other purposes, such as running a dealership or fleet management system, communicating with clients, and more. They can thus replace several expensive dedicated devices, not just scanners.
Mobile VIN OCR scanner software
The Scanbot VIN Scanner SDK offers fast and accurate VIN scanning. It replaces slow, error-prone manual VIN entry with fast, reliable automatic data extraction.
Its powerful OCR engine extracts VINs and returns them in a structured format, ideal for automatic processing. This enables instant cross-referencing against other systems, such as VIN online databases.The SDK is easy to integrate into your mobile or web dealer management system (DMS) or fleet management app, and gives users quick and easy access to vehicle information by simply pointing a smartphone or tablet camera at the vehicle’s VIN.
The Scanbot SDK was developed for real-world conditions. Damaged, curved, or dirty barcodes and poor lighting conditions pose no challenge, ideal for VIN scanning on used vehicles and in hard-to-reach spots.
It works entirely offline, without any connection to third-party servers, ensuring its functioning even in remote areas with network connectivity issues.
Real-world VIN OCR scanning: ETE REMAN and the Scanbot VIN Scanner SDK
ETE REMAN, a U.S. remanufacturer, sought a real-time OCR solution to enable its B2B customers to scan VINs directly from vehicles or work orders.
Thanks to the Scanbot VIN Scanner SDK, looking up pricing and delivery information for transmissions is now a breeze. Users now simply point their camera at a VIN or VIN barcode, and immediately get information on the vehicle model and available parts.
Want to see how it works? You can experience the SDK for yourself in our free VIN Scanner demo app.
Or contact us at scanbot@sdk.io to learn more about our VIN Scanner solution.
