What is QR code?

QR code - a matrix two-dimensional barcode, consists of black and white modules, which stores data. Created by Japanese corporation Denso Wave in 1994 for the automotive industry to track vehicles during manufacturing. Today, it's widely used for various purposes, such as advertising, e-commerce, event management or contactless payment.

The acronym QR stands for "Quick Response". The idea behind this code was to allow its decoding at high speed. It can store up to several hundred times more information than traditional barcodes.

In addition to storing text and numerical data like URLs, phone numbers or email addresses, QR codes can also contain binary data such as images or audio files. These codes are readable by any smartphone camera equipped with a QR code reader app.

How Do QR Codes Work?

A QR code generator takes your input and converts it into a patterned square that can be printed off and scanned by another user. When someone uses their smartphone camera to scan the QR code on the surface of say an advertisement board or product packaging label:

• The camera reads the patterned square and captures its image.
• The captured image is then sent to an appropriate application capable of processing the pattern.
• The software recognizes the pattern embedded within the square-based on its design specifications.
• If everything matches up correctly and there are no errors in transmission/processing (or if error correction technology kicks-in) then decoded information from within that patterned square will be displayed on a mobile device screen almost instantly!

Why Are They Useful?

Contactless payments: One way QR codes have become popular is with Contactless Payment systems like Paytm, PayPal, Alipay, etc. Instead of carrying a card or cash around to pay for products or services, users can scan a QR code with their mobile device and transfer the money digitally.

Event management: QR codes have also gained popularity in event management services. Attendees can simply scan the code on their tickets and gain entry without any hassle. It's also easy to track attendance and share other event-related information through QR codes.

Marketing: Finally, QR codes are great marketing tools that allow businesses to share links, coupons, product details, and more with potential customers in an interactive way.

The Future of QR Codes

The use of QR codes has significantly increased over time globally. However, like every technology advancement we've had so far; they will evolve into something better eventually!

New standards such as "FrameQR", "ARQR" and "SQRC" have emerged which provide enhanced functionality compared to traditional 2D barcodes. As augmented reality grows more popular (and affordable), it's likely we'll see even more creative uses for this dynamic technology in the near future!