Unlocking the QR code – gimmick or game changer?

QR codes are a square cluster of black and white square mini dots; they have become our boarding passes and you see them on packaging and promotions.

And here’s a good trivia night question: What does QR stand for? Come on, we need a quick response.

But what are they and are they on the way out – or on the way in? Let’s dissect one with Professor Justin Zobel, Head of the Department of Computing & Information Systems at the University of Melbourne.

“QR codes are essentially barcodes that can be read in two directions, up-and-down and left-to-right at the same time. They are even referred to as 2D barcodes,’’ says Professor Zobel. “If you look at one closely you’ll see the top two corners and the bottom left hand corner have identical mini squares; these tell the scanner, which can process it in any direction, the orientation of how it should be read.

“The basic zebra crossing-like 1D barcodes are used to manage inventory such as groceries and postal services. These codes are a series of numbers (up to about 20 characters), whereas QR codes raise the barcode to a new level. They can store over 100 times more information – about 4000 characters or 7000 numbers. This allows them provide links to websites, email addresses, and details of a product.