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                                 UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549



                                  SCHEDULE 13G



                   Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                             (Amendment No.     )*


                                 ODETICS, INC.
                                (Name of Issuer)

                                    CLASS A
                                  COMMON STOCK
                         (Title of Class of Securities)


                                   676065204
                                 (CUSIP Number)


Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this statement [  X  ].  (A
fee is not required only if the filing person:  (1) has a previous statement on
file reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the class of
securities described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such class.)
(See Rule 13d-7).

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities,
and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be
deemed to be "filed" for the purposed of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of
the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see
the Notes).






                               Page 1 of 5 pages


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CUSIP No. 676065204                    13G                Page  2  of  5 Pages



1.  NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
    S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

              HEARTLAND ADVISORS, INC.

              #39-1078128

2.  CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*

                                        (a)  [      ]
                                        (b)  [      ]

3.  SEC USE ONLY

4.  CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

     WISCONSIN, U.S.A.


                   
                      5.  SOLE VOTING POWER       
     NUMBER OF                515,000                
      SHARES                                         
    BENEFICIALLY      6.  SHARED VOTING POWER        
       OWNED BY       None                           
        EACH                                         
     REPORTING        7.  SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER     
       PERSON                 515,000                
        WITH                                        
                      8.  SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER  
                      None                          



                                                      
9.  AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

       515,000

10.  CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*



11.  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

     10.5%

12.  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

              IA



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CUSIP NUMBER   676065204            Page 3 Of 5 Pages
                                    
Item 1.
     (a) Name of Issuer:  Odetics, Inc.


     (b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
                 1515 South Manchester Avenue
                  Anaheim,  CA   92802-2907

Item 2.
     (a) Name of Person Filing:    Heartland Advisors, Inc.


     (b) Address of Principal Business Office:
                 Heartland Advisors, Inc.      
                 790 North Milwaukee Street    
                 Milwaukee, WI  53202          


     (c) Citizenship:       Heartland Advisors is a Wisconsin corporation.

     (d) Title of Class of Securities:  Class A Common Stock

     (e)  CUSIP Number:  676065204

Item 3. If this statement is filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b),
        or 13d-2(b), check whether the person filing is a:

     (a)_____     Broker or Dealer registered under Section 15 of
                  the Act.

     (b)_____     Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of
                  the Act.

     (c)_____     Insurance company as defined in Section 3(a)(19)
                  of the Act.

     (d)_____     Investment company registered under Section 8 of
                  the Investment Company Act of 1940.

     (e)__X__     Investment adviser registered under Section 203 of
                  the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

     (f)_____     Employee Benefit Plan, Pension Fund which is subject
                  to the provisions of the Employee Retirement
                  Income Security Act of 1974 or Endowment Fund;  see
                  Sec 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F).


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     (g)_____     Parent Holding Company, in accordance with
                  Sec 240.13d-1(b)(ii)(G) (Note: See Item 1).


     (h)_____     Group, in accordance with
                  Sec 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(H).

Item 4. Ownership.

     (a) Amount beneficially owned:
         515,000 shares may be deemed beneficially owned within the meaning of
Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by Heartland Advisors, Inc.

     (b) Percent of Class:
         10.5%

     (c)  For information on voting and dispositive power with respect to the
above listed shares, see Items 5-8 of the Cover Page.


Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.

        If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as
of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the
beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of
securities, check the following:[  ]


Item 6. Ownership of more than Five Percent on Behalf of Another
        Person.

        The shares of common stock to which this Schedule relates are held in
investment advisory accounts of Heartland Advisors, Inc.  As a result, various
persons have the right to receive or the power to direct the receipt of
dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of, the securities.  The
interests of one such account, Heartland Value Fund, a series of Heartland
Group, Inc., a registered investment company, relates to more than 5% of the
class.


Item 7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the
Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company.

     Not Applicable.

Item 8. Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.

     Not Applicable.

Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group.

     Not Applicable.


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Item 10.  Certification.

          By signing below, I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, the securities referred to above were acquired in the ordinary course
of business and were not acquired for the purpose of and do not have the effect
of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of such securities and
were not acquired in connection with or as a participant in any transaction
having such purposes or effect.

                                   SIGNATURE

          After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

DATE:   February 9, 1996

                          HEARTLAND ADVISORS, INC.

                          By:       PATRICK J. RETZER
                                    -----------------
                                    Patrick J. Retzer
                                    Vice President/Treasurer