1. A non-transitory computer readable medium for identifying characters using at least one processor and a sparse distributed memory (SDM) module, the computer readable medium including instructions to command the processor to: receive image data relating to an object having a surface with physical markings thereon, the physical markings including characters-of-interest; generate a binary image for at least one character-of-interest of the characters-of-interest, the binary image having a plurality of cells, wherein each cell of the plurality of cells is defined at least in part by a cell location; analyze the image data to convert the at least one character-of-interest of the characters-of-interest in the image data into a corresponding feature vector, the feature vector including a vector address and a data pattern, wherein the vector address is based on the cell location corresponding to the at least one character-of-interest; and identify the at least one character-of-interest of the characters-of-interest using the SDM module, the SDM module having hard locations that include a stored vector location address and a stored content counter, wherein the identifying operation includes: determining a relative distance between the vector address of the feature vector and the stored vector location addresses of the hard locations, wherein the hard locations that are within a predetermined distance from the vector address are activated locations; and providing a suggested identity of the corresponding characters-of-interest that is based upon the stored content counters of the activated locations.