Once upon a time, QR codes were block, black and white patterns on the back of car bumpers. Now, they come in all shapes and sizes. First developed by Denso Wave, a subsidiary of Toyota, they were used to track inventory. During the advent of mobile devices, the codes became famous in Japan and Asia, with their popularity diminishing as they traveled further west. Since their incorporation into society, the codes have evolved from the black and what mosaics to colorful designs.
New codes are emerging tentatively into the world of marketing. They deviate from the traditional design and adopt a more colorful, streamlined approach. Featuring smoother edges and more fluid digital patterns – some featuring characters of popular cartoon series – these codes are a new breed.
Some time ago, Denso Wave announced that they had been working on a new version of the QR code. Dubbed the iQR, these new codes boasted of increased data capacity, faster response time and more customizable design. The codes seem to making their way into society ahead of schedule.
These news codes are said to hold six times more information, can be smaller by approximately 30% than a QR code and are also found in different shapes than the traditional box.
The codes have only been spotted a few times in Japan. No one has been able to re-create the codes as there is not enough information on the data matrix used for it. The codes could be scanned, but only linked to video content that is as vague as their origins, leading many to believe that their appearance is part of a viral marketing campaign.
Whatever the case may be, the possibility of a new generation of QR code has many on the edge of their seats.
