© Mark Ollig
We see and scan them every day: those small black-and-white squares made up of grid-like patterns representing digital data arranged in complex code.
These patterns employ various two-dimensional (2D) algorithms and error correction mechanisms to store different types of data, all scannable with our smartphones.
A Japanese company, Denso Wave, a subsidiary of Denso, and its development team led by Masahiro Hara introduced Quick Response (QR) codes in 1994 to improve inventory tracking.
The term “Quick Response code” originates from its ability to be rapidly scanned and decoded by a QR scanner or your smartphone’s camera, providing quick access to its encoded information.
A QR code is composed of visual binary data in the form of black squares on a white grid pattern, allowing it to store data both vertically and horizontally in two dimensions.
This unique pattern enables it to hold more information than a traditional one-dimensional (1D) barcode, which can only encode data horizontally.
Two decades before QR codes, product information was printed on attached barcode labels featuring a pattern of black stripes and white gaps that encoded data as binary digits, ones, and zeros.
Barcodes with varying lines and spaces represent specific information through differences in thickness.
A clean and clearly printed barcode with a strong contrast between dark bars and light spaces is necessary for accurate scanning.
Fifty years ago, on June 26, 1974, a pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum was the first commercial use of a barcode when it was scanned at Marsh’s Supermarket in Troy, OH.
In 1992, Masahiro Hara was involved in the development of barcode scanners and optical character recognition (OCR) devices.
“Workers had to scan as many as 1,000 barcodes a day, which wasn’t very efficient. We needed a compact code that could store more information, including Japanese characters, and could be read quickly,” Hara said on Denso’s website.
“We will develop a compact code that can store more information, including kanji and kana characters [Chinese characters that represent whole words or concepts in Japanese], and at the same time can be read at higher speed,” he added.
His team at Denso Wave set out to design a coding system, which led to the development of the QR code.
It is said the idea for the QR code data patterns originated from a 2,500-year-old Chinese game called Go, a strategy board game visually comparable to QR codes. Go uses black-and-white elements on a grid to represent strategic game positions, and QR symbols use black-and-white squares to represent data.
Initially, QR codes required a separate software programming application for scanning the code’s data, as early phone cameras had difficulty interpreting them.
Today’s smartphones are equipped to read QR codes using the phone’s camera, and if that fails, one can install a QR code reader app.
QR codes link to websites, text, images, videos, apps, social media, virtual business cards, events, and even restaurant menus.
I recall first seeing QR codes displayed around 2007 in magazines, posters, stationery, and business cards.
Sunday, I was traveling on Highway 7 to Winsted, passing through St. Bonifacius, when I saw a QR code on a highway billboard, which surprised me.
I mean, taking your eyes off the road to focus on your phone to scan a QR code increases the risk of a crash, and at 65 mph, a car travels approximately 95 feet per second.
We should be aware that some QR codes may be malicious, leading to phishing sites, malware, or redirecting users to harmful content.
Fortunately, many modern smartphone camera apps include a safety feature that often displays a preview of the web link or file name embedded within the QR code, allowing users to assess its legitimacy before proceeding.
The research firm Statista projects that the number of smartphone users in the U.S. scanning QR codes will increase to around 111.3 million in 2025, compared to the 89 million users who did so in 2022.
Create your own unique QR codes using Bitly, an American company based in New York, at https://bit.ly/3XxSsYc.
