The Next Wave of Data Capture: 2026 Predictions

As AI becomes deeply embedded in day‑to‑day operations, what does 2026 hold for the world of data capture? From the rise of physical AI to AR-guided store operations at Walmart and keeping humans in the loop in barcode scanning, here’s what will shape the next wave of data capture in 2026 — plus expert insights from analysts and industry leaders.

(P.S. Want to see how accurate we were in predicting 2025’s trends? Look back at our 2025 data capture trends report.)

The rise of physical AI

At the start of 2025, we predicted a shift from talking about LLMs to talking about other forms of AI, particularly computer vision. One of the biggest names in tech – Nvidia – agreed with us in 2025.

The era of physical AI is here.

Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA

Physical AI draws its knowledge from the physical world, by capturing data from sensors (camera feeds, microphones, radar, thermometers, and more). While it includes robotics, it goes beyond this, also encompassing areas like shelf intelligence and environmental monitoring.

A chatbot can’t reduce warehouse downtime. A generative image tool can create a picture of a fully stocked grocery shelf, but that doesn’t help if your real shelves are empty. Physical AI will solve real‑world problems at a scale purely digital AI could never reach, and transform the 75% of industries worldwide that rely on physical interaction.

Hybrid data capture becomes the dominant strategy

In retail, a new hybrid era was dawning at the start of 2025, where fixed cameras, drones, wearables, and robots work in harmony with smartphones and handheld computers. This allows retailers to scale shelf intelligence solutions without the need to invest in costly hardware.

By the end of the year, hybrid data capture was becoming the operational norm, according to research conducted by IHL Group. Retailers who have already adopted a hybrid data capture strategy are 136% more likely to maintain profitability leadership.

Over the next year, adoption will accelerate, with 36% planning to deploy hybrid data capture strategies. A further 21% are planning adoption within the next 24 months.

The most sophisticated retailers have moved beyond the false choice between single-technology solutions. They’re deploying hybrid approaches that balance flexibility, accuracy, and cost across diverse operational requirements.

Greg Buzek - President/Chief AI Officer - IHL Group

AR‑guided workflows will go mainstream in store operations, supply chain, and last mile delivery

In 2025, Walmart, Dior, and Amazon all revealed augmented reality (AR)-powered workflows that deliver measurable, repeatable impact in retail, logistics, and supply chain. Today, Walmart’s implementation is likely the largest commercial use of AR worldwide. Dior’s solution reduced shipping control time by 85%.

Image credit: Amazon

Meanwhile, Woop's 2026 Delivery Trends Report revealed how AR will redefine last‑mile logistics as real‑time guidance becomes standard, including cutting loading errors by 30% and saving over $500,000 per depot annually.

2026 is poised to be the year AR finally crosses from early adoption to ubiquitous operational use.

In the coming years, augmented reality will become the standard interface for delivery: from preparation to handover to the end customer, every actor in the chain will handle, view, and control their flows in real time through a simple overlay of information on the physical world. This will represent a double competitive edge: the ability to operate faster, and to offer a personalized, predictive, and ultra-reliable experience to every client.

Lyndal Moeller, Senior Industry Solutions Manager, Scandit

AI in barcode scanning won’t remove humans from the process

Barcodes remain the cornerstone of data capture around the globe, and that isn’t likely to change in 2026. Yet even this mature technology will enter a new era as AI reshapes the future of scanning.

At Scandit, we defined AI capabilities in barcode technology across three distinct levels in 2025. These range from barcode scanning which is AI in name only, through to context-aware scanning that understands not just barcode data but environment and user intent.

But Level 3 doesn't claim to bring full autonomy to barcode scanning, and that's the point. AI anticipates, filters, and assists, but humans remain the ultimate source of context and control.

The goal isn't to remove humans from the process, but to build systems that work with them.

Raffaele Farinaro, Product Manager, Scandit

In 2026, we’ll see another leap in algorithmic intelligence as Level 4 in AI barcode scanning becomes a reality. Systems won’t just decode barcodes efficiently, they’ll infer context and relationships. Is the code part of a product label or printed on a shipping box? Is the user rescanning the same code, or are there multiple identical codes in view?

This enhanced contextual understanding will unlock new use cases and opportunities we can barely imagine today. At Scandit, we’re already pushing this frontier with the Scandit SDK 8 and innovations like Smart Label Capture to bring that future within reach.

Automated ID verification will reach a tipping point

One in every 25 verification attempts involved fraud in 2025, and high-quality fake IDs are now available online for as little as $9.

Frontline workers are also verifying identity under increasing pressure. The 2026 World Cup is expected to create a surge in travel to the US, but experts doubt that U.S. travel infrastructure is prepared to handle the influx of travelers.

In 2025, manual identity verification showed clear signs of breaking under pressure. In 2026, we predict that powerful, AI-powered identity verification will become a strategic necessity that not only protects businesses but streamlines operations and opens up new revenue streams.

Identity is a foundational mega-trend driving digital transformation.

Thomas Laffont, Coatue

For example, Air France-KLM implemented document scanning using Scandit ID Bolt to allow passengers to pre-verify travel documents before they arrive at the airport.

This prevents passengers from being turned away at boarding gates, reducing delays, improving customer experience, and minimizing financial penalties. It also aligns with rising traveler expectations, with 78% now wanting to be able to use a single smart device to manage their journey.

We process about half a million [identity document] scans a month now — and that will only likely increase.

Laurens Jansma, Product Owner, KLM

AI in identity verification will also see the use of VLMs (vision-language models) to make this process even more streamlined in 2026.

Invitation letters, vaccination certificates, and approval PDFs emailed to travelers vary widely in layout and language. Using VLMs, relevant fields can be extracted and verified alongside standard identity documents, even if the document formats have never been seen before by either AI models or frontline workers.

Conclusion: Solving the world’s biggest challenges

In business and elsewhere, the biggest challenges ahead are not digital, but physical.

In 2026, the combination of physical and digital AI, hybrid device strategies, more robust AR, and the continued evolution of advanced data capture technology will accelerate rapidly. Together, these forces will finally make true digital transformation attainable for physical industries such as retail, logistics, manufacturing, and supply chain.