A Brief History of the QR Code

The QR code system was invented in 1994 by Masahiro Hara, a Japanese engineer who worked for the automotive company Denso Wave. The black and white grid design of the QR code was influenced by the pieces of a Go board. QR stands for quick response and the codes were originally used for tracking vehicles and parts during the manufacturing process. The codes allowed for high speed scanning which eliminated slow downs during manufacturing. 

QR Codes: History and Applications

The QR code is a type of matrix barcode which means a barcode that is created in two dimensions. A barcode is a machine readable visual label that is able to contain information about an item or items. The QR code is a case sensitive barcode and it can display a considerable amount of information in its small square design. The QR code system uses four standardized modes of encoding to store data in an efficient manner. These modes are: binary, numeric, alphanumeric and kanji. Kanji is the name of the symbols which comprise the Japanese alphabet. 

The QR code is made up of black squares on a white background arranged into a square grid. QR codes are processed by an imaging device which is most commonly a camera. That is why smartphones are some of the most commonly used devices to interpret QR codes.Computers use what is known as Reed-Solomon error correction to interpret QR codes. These error-correcting codes were invented in 1960 and they are used today in a wide variety of applications other than just for QR Codes which includes CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray. 

The QR code system quickly became popular outside of the automotive industry due to its ability to store more information than traditional barcode systems as well as its quick read time. The QR code has an enormous array of potential applications and these include: product identification, product tracking, the management of documentation and marketing purposes. 

Most recently the QR code has also seen a great deal of use as a means of no-contact data transmission. This was necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic. Uses include a QR code as a stand-in for a menu in restaurants as well as using a QR code to link to a form to fill out. This has seen medical applications so that individuals would not need to use a pen and paper to fill out a form and potentially transmit the virus. Hospitals in certain middle-income countries have used the QR code extensively for the purposes of creating a paper trail which is free from physical contact. 

Today one of the most commonly used applications of the QR code is in marketing. Due to the prevalence of smartphones with built-in QR code scanners, almost everyone is able to scan a QR code quickly and without hassle. As a result QR codes are built into marketing strategies as individuals can scan a QR code and be taken to a website without having to manually input a URL into their phone or computer. This allows for very easy access to websites and other promotional material which is what makes the QR code so popular amongst marketers. 

QR codes can be created and used by anyone. This means that any marketer or business person can create a QR code and use it for any purpose which they see fit. In addition to this there are also QR code generators that can produce QR codes for free. These generators ask the user to input the type of data which they would like to transmit via the QR code. This can include phone numbers, URLs and WiFi passwords. ]

For more information:

Free QR Code Generator | TRUiC 

Final Thoughts 

The QR code is an almost thirty year old technology that continues to find new uses and applications on an almost daily basis. The usage of QR codes increased in consumer marketing as a result of smartphones being able to process these codes and immediately link consumers to a brand's website, email address or phone number. Additionally, QR codes have seen extensive use as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This is the case because they can replace pen and paper with an electronic, touchless interface that reduces the ability of the coronavirus to spread.