Chances are you‘ve started seeing more and more of those black and white pixelated squares popping up everywhere lately. Friends sending you QR code wedding invitations, restaurants replacing paper menus with scannable codes, retail stores tempting you to scan for discounts… They‘re called QR codes, and they‘ve become ubiquitous over the past couple years. But what exactly are they, and how did these strange-looking squares originate? Read on for a comprehensive expert guide to the history, applications and future of the quick response (QR) code.
What is a QR Code and How Does it Work?
A QR code (short for quick response code) is a type of matrix barcode first invented in 1994 by Masahiro Hara, an engineer working for the Japanese automotive company Denso Wave. It was originally designed to track vehicle parts during the manufacturing process.
The code consists of black modules arranged in a square grid on a white background. Encoded in the modules is data that can be read by a digital device with an integrated camera and QR scanning capability, such as a smartphone. QR codes leverage something known as Reed-Solomon error correction to restore data even if the code is partially damaged or obscured.
When your phone‘s camera scans a QR code, an app on your phone will instantly recognize the code, capture an image, and translate the code into useful information using QR code generator software. This information can include anything that can be conveyed digitally – website URLs, text, contact info, events, payments and much more. Anything with up to 7,089 numeric or 4,296 alphanumeric characters can be encoded.
How a QR code works – the scanning device‘s camera captures the QR code image and software translates the encoded data into information.
The Early History and Evolution
After being invented by Hara for automotive manufacturing parts tracking, QR codes slowly began catching on in other industries in the early 2000s as camera phones took off in popularity in Japan and Asia.
Uptake was steady and global adoption crossed over 20% by 2008. But the real inflection point came when smartphones with integrated cameras, apps and internet access arrived en masse around 2010. QR code use began doubling country-by-country rapidly as it became frictionless for consumers to scan the codes.
Additionally, around 2015 QR codes began to have branding potential thanks to color and stylized custom codes. This further fueled adoption – especially amongst brands and designers.
The Rise of QR Codes
But the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 truly thrust QR codes into the mainstream as businesses sought touchless ways to facilitate transactions and access information. Practically overnight, black and white pixelated codes on restaurant tables, retail checkout counters, and product packaging became the norm.
According to Statista, the number of QR code scans in the United States jumped from 11 million per month in 2019 to over 93 million per month by early 2022 – a 754% increase. Some specific ways QR codes are used today across industries:
Payments and Transactions
- Mobile payments and donations
- Self check-out in retail
- Contactless restaurant transactions
Information Access
- Restaurant, bar and menu access
- Product manuals and documentation
- Real estate listing details
- Event ticketing and passes
- Education materials and schedules
Marketing and Offers
- Website access via URLs
- App downloads
- Coupons and discounts
- Contact info sharing
- Scheduling services
QR Code Technical Specifications and Details
Under the hood, QR codes rely on Reed-Solomon error correction coding built on top of binary data matrices. This allows the codes to still function even if damaged or partially obscured. Both paid and free QR code generator tools exist to encode custom data.
The maximum capacity of a QR code depends on the size, ranging from 21 x 21 pixels up to a 177 x 177 pixel grid. The largest QR code standard (Version 40) can hold up to 1852 characters or 7,089 numeric digits. Below shows the increasing capacity from Versions 1 up to 40 defined in the QR code technical standards.
While most QR codes simply contain encoded plaintext data, technology from companies like Microsoft allows for encrypted and signed codes ensuring authenticity and security. QR codes can also trigger actions and data collection across the broader Internet of Things ecosystem.
Security Concerns and Precautions
However, the convenience and versatility of QR codes also introduces security risks if proper precautions aren‘t taken by both publishers and scanners.
According to Kaspersky security firm, over 20% of QR codes now contain links associated with malicious websites, phishing attempts or malware downloads. FBI issued warnings have urged caution around public QR codes which can direct to fake lookalike sites to steal login credentials or compromise devices.
Types of QR code attacks include:
QRishing
Scammers generate fake, malicious QR codes to phish for sensitive personal information or financial account access
QRLJacking
Targets trick users to install malware apps that can spy, steal data or encrypt devices for ransom
Other concerns range from triggered SMS spam up to device level attacks by scanning innocuous looking codes.
Experts recommend only scanning trusted QR codes from known legitimate businesses and taking time to inspect redirect URLs before tapping links or entering any sensitive data after scanning. Maintaining updated malware scanning apps is also advised to provide an extra security layer for your device and data.
The rising popularity of QR codes among legitimate businesses still outpaces malicious usage, but both publishers and scanners must remain vigilant.
Business Case Studies Across Industries
While QR codes have become ubiquitous at restaurants and retailers, companies across industries are implementing innovative uses with proven business results:
Healthcare
Clinicas Dorsia in Brazil deployed QR codes across their clinics to streamline patient visits. Patients and staff use smartphone cameras to check-in, access medical records, fill forms and more. Dorsia cites benefits of better staff efficiency, shorter patient visits and more consistent health tracking.
Education
The University of Vermont printed QR codes on campus trees which students can scan to pull up info on tree species, benefits and care tips. Beyond educating, the codes along frequently traveled paths help boost engagement and retention.
Non-profits
Charitable organizations increasingly include QR codes on direct mailers, posters and promotions. Once scanned, the code prompts users to visit donation pages pre-populated with suggested giving amounts. Non-profits cite an uptick in mobile giving thanks to the convenience of scan-based micro-donations.
The business applications where QR codes can help drive efficiency, engagement or revenue are practically endless given their versatility. Expect adoption and innovation across industries to continue accelerating.
Emerging Trends and Applications
And QR codes may soon move beyond just squares and pixels… We‘re beginning to see the dawn of 3D QR codes leveraging augmented reality when scanned for richer interactive experiences.
QR codes are being adopted across industries from healthcare to education to nonprofits.
Event and entertainment venues are also experimenting with QR codes that automatically adjust content based on everything from user demographics to weather. Contextually intelligent codes may change the landscape of targeted advertising and engagement.
Additional frontiers like dynamic NFC tags, embeddable blink-buttons and QR receipt functionality introduce entirely new realms for touchless experiences and embedded computing.
The Future of Scannable Codes
As artificial intelligence continues advancing computer vision capabilities, we may eventually see a convergence of identification technologies from facial recognition, object scanning and QR code reading all bundled into our mobile devices.
This could enable instant access not only to predefined digital actions, but also to contextual recommendations and insights unique to whoever and whatever the camera is pointed at in the physical world. The lines between the tangible present and curated digital dimensions overlaid atop it will continue blurring.
And QR codes – once casually brushed off as a harmless novelty – may prove to be the ubiquitous spearhead paving the way to this blended reality future.
So while scannable squares certainly aren‘t new, innovative technologists and enterprising businesses are only beginning to tap into their utility. QR codes have rapidly evolved from their origins tracking automotive parts to now triggering everything from mobile payments to metaverse journeys and everything in between.
Their full potential still lies ahead as an ever-growing array of use cases leverages quick response technology to erase divides between atoms and bits. Codes once hastily slapped together to bandage physical inefficiencies are now positioning us at the mass adoption runway about to enable humanity‘s smoothest leap into effortlessly integrated physical-digital living.
Next time you stumble upon one of those curiously placed black and white squares in the wild, go ahead – scan it safely. You never know what experiences, utilities and worlds each code may unlock as scannable connectivity reshapes life as we know it. QR codes have already proved an unlikely hero intersecting privacy, convenience and sleek functionality. And their next chapters may tell an even bolder, brighter story yet – for enterprises and everyday consumers alike.
