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QR Code

QR Code

The QR code (Quick Response Code) is a more sophisticated type of barcode that consists of a square pattern, printed with small black and white squares that encode data that can be scanned into a computer system.

The QR code arose from the need of the automotive industry to track car parts during the assembly process, and for which a number of 25 characters (how many can be read in a barcode) was far too limited, as they could not store all the information needed such, as sender/recipient/details etc.

The QR code was invented in Japan, exclusively for the automotive manufacturing industry by a Japanese engineer, Hara Masahiro, who worked for DENSO WAVE, a company that produced barcode scanners and optical readers. This was a division of Denso, a subsidiary of the Toyota Motor Corporation. Hara developed a two-dimensional barcode with the shape of a square, thus effectively addressing the problem of limited data capacity. In 1994, Hara Masahiro launches the QR code at a car trade show. It was an instant success, and soon, all car companies in Japan, and later around the world, adopted QR codes.

2D QR code can now store up to 7000 characters!

But the QR code went beyond the boundaries of the automotive industry and quickly penetrated all levels of business. QR codes are frequently used in advertising to encode the URL of a Web site that contains a coupon or product information. We can also see them on all tickets to sporting events and concerts.

QR codes are usually read with laser scanners or cameras on mobile phones, which then use special software to decode the code.

Article published by Daniela Popa