Masahiro Hara is the Japanese man who invented the QR code in 1994. Masahiro was born in 1957 and graduated in 1980 from Hosei University with a degree in electrical engineering.
Why was the QR code invented?
Masahiro Hara works for a company called Denso Wave, and part of his job was to come up with a way to track automobile parts. At the time, the company had a contract with Toyota, and keeping track of all the parts was a tall order.
A simple barcode was being used at the time, but it can only hold so much information. Leaving boxes covered in barcodes and employees scanning several codes for one box left a lot of room for error.
Masahiro says that one day over a game being played in the lunchroom with coworkers, he realized that the codes being used in the game could easily be translated into his work.
A development team and Masahiro worked to develop the QR code to store more information than a barcode and make the process more efficient.
Instead of using several barcodes for a single item, these 2D barcodes that consisted of black and white squares could hold an infinite amount of information and leave less room for error since workers only needed to scan a QR code once.
How has the QR code changed over the years?
The QR code has spread globally since its invention in 1994. It is safe to say that it has been picked up and accepted by businesses and the general public alike as a means of storing personal information, marketing, healthcare, and so much more.
The appearance of the QR code has also changed over the years. In many places, you will still find the typical black-and-white codes with blocks in three corners. You may also notice that some QR codes are smaller, larger, colored, and may even contain brand logos.
Common places to find QR codes in the modern world
The quick response code (QR code) has been showing up in more and more places over the past decade or so.
The pandemic has amplified its use in recent years, and you may have noticed these 2-D codes in places you would never have thought of seeing them before.
Whether they are being used for personal use, marketing, healthcare, or education, there is no denying that QR codes are becoming much more common and are here to stay.
We have a list of places you may have noticed them recently or in places you can start to expect to see QR codes more regularly.
Wi-fi passwords
How annoying is it when you have to type in a Wi-fi password, only to have typed it in wrong? It’s so annoying and a big waste of time. Using a QR code with a Wi-fi password store makes logging into the internet where you are so much easier with just one scan, no typing required.
Product packaging
Instead of squeezing product information onto an item’s package, companies have been using QR codes for their customers to scan to gain access to product information.
This is a great way to market a product. The code could even be used for draws, special offers, and games to keep their customers engaged.
Restaurants
During the pandemic, restaurants turned to QR codes. Patrons could scan the code, and the menu would pop up on their phones. This minimized the amount of contact between people, eliminating physical menus that could spread germs. It also reduced waste from using paper products by replacing them with digital products.
Historical sites
If you are into historical sites or hitting the trails, you may have noticed QR codes replacing plaques that dive into the history of the site or information about the trail. By scanning the code, you will be redirected to a website that explains the area’s significance or what you need to know when hiking in that area.
E-learning
Using QR codes in school is a great way to add a digital aspect to learning. The students can scan the code to watch videos, download an eBook, or tune into an audio clip from their course books.
Business cards
It is common nowadays for people to include a QR code on their business cards. The code can lead to contact information, a website, or even the person’s social media, like their LinkedIn account. This makes storing someone’s contact information much more effortless. Instead of manually putting someone’s contact info into your phone, you can simply scan the code and store it from there.
Payments
You can quickly turn your smartphone into your wallet. Using QR codes as a way to make payments has become exceedingly popular worldwide. This makes payments safer than carrying around a card and having to put in a PIN and much faster.
Ads
It doesn’t matter if an ad is in the newspaper, magazine, in an elevator, at the laundry mat, or anywhere else a business may post an ad. A QR code can be attached to it. Using QR codes on ads is a great way to offer special deals and coupons to customers. They feel more exclusive if they have a QR code, only those with a smartphone can access these deals, and we all know everyone loves an exclusive offer.
Conclusion
Masahiro Hara the person who invented the QR code so many years ago as a means to an end to inventory in the automobile industry in Japan.
Now the QR code can be found around the world with so many uses. It has become part of people’s lives and will continue to pop up in more places as the years go on.
If you are interested to create your own Qr codes that also look amazing then try out QRMAGICK Qr code Generator.
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