QR code

A QR code is a type of two-dimensional barcode used to store information. The characters ‘QR’ stand for ‘quick response’ as QR codes can be read very quickly.

Unlike traditional barcodes, QR codes can store great amounts of information using very little space and do not require a barcode reader to be read, a smartphone being sufficient.

QR codes are easily recognizable by their square shape and the positioning detection markers located in three of their corners. However, not all QR codes respond to this format.

The QR barcode was developed in 1994 by Masahiro Hara from DENSO WAVE, a Toyota subsidiary. The goal was to track vehicles and vehicle parts during manufacturing in a more efficient and accurate way.

After its release, the QR code was quickly adopted by the automotive industry. However, its success led other industries to adopt it, turning the code into a de facto open source technology. Nowadays, the QR code is widely used in Japan and other parts of the world for multiple purposes.

Depending on the amount of data they store, the type of information they encode and the way the data is displayed, QR codes can be classified into:

• QR codes Model 1 and Model 2: Model 1 is the original QR code, while Model 2 is the most common format used nowadays and stores significantly more data than Model 1.
• Micro QR codes: this type of QR code stores less data than Model 1 and Model 2, but is considerably smaller.
• iQR codes: this code can be shaped as a square or a rectangle and stores a lot more data than any of the previous formats (around 40.000 digits).
• SQRC: this type of QR code has a data reading restriction function and is normally used to manage confidential information. Dynamic QR codes: normally, when a QR code is created, the information they hold cannot be changed.
• Dynamic QR codes, however, allow manufacturers to edit the information stored in a QR code by linking it to a source (e.g. a URL) and not to the information itself. This way, when the information stored in the source changes, the information displayed by the QR code also changes.

With regard to the data they can store, QR codes can be used to display text (including special symbols and kanji characters), URLs, images or even videos.

QR codes can be easily created with the help of a QR code generator. Many QR code generators are available on the Internet free of charge. Normally, the user enters the information they want to encode (e.g. text, a URL, an image) and the QR code generator automatically generates the code.

Reading a QR code is as easy as creating it. The only thing required is a smartphone application, which can be downloaded from popular app stores like Google Play or the App Store.