Ape.IO, a startup founded in 2010 as a spin-off of Ape Communications in Singapore, has made the world’s first QR code constructed by Rubik’s cubes. The code is part of a promotional effort for the company’s first production: META Assassin. Exactly 49 Rubik’s cubes were used in making the first code; another, bigger, code was made using 121 cubes. Both are fully functional as a QR code.
The original idea was born after the company was hired to do an art installation of , “The Birth of Venus”, which appeared in a Singapore shopping mall last year. This mosaic wall shows the portrait and was pieced together with 4992 Rubik’s cubes. Fionn Liang with the company stated, “After dissembling the art installation, we had so many Rubik’s cubes on hand and while we were brainstorming on how to create an impressive press kit, this idea came to Mikhail’s mind. Everyone loved it and ta dah!”
META Assassin is the first game produced by Ape.IO. It is said to be an experimental online social game that was launched on February 18, 2011. The game is a four month long tournament in which players hunt down targets while evading capture from opposing forces. Currently in beta phase testing, META Assassin boasts of a persistent online world that anyone can participate in and is “work-friendly.”
The codes resolve to the game’s website, where people can find more information about the game as well as their press release.
Ape.IO’s use of QR has proven entertaining and stands testament that the codes can take many forms. Most codes are represented in the traditional form – a black and white blocky pattern. They are typically printed to embedded on signs but enterprising individuals have taken to constructing QR codes from unsuspecting material. Chefs have used edible squid ink to make codes, while others have even used them to re-imagine famous works of art.
The appeal of QR is beginning to extend beyond the ability to quickly connect consumers with what they want. The more creative businesses get with their designs, the more likely consumers are to participate in scanning.
