In the 1990s, Japanese automotive factories had a problem.
Traditional barcodes couldn’t hold enough information, so workers sometimes had to scan multiple codes just to track components.
A team at Denso Wave, led by engineer Masahiro Hara, wanted something faster.
In 1994, they created the Quick Response Code—or QR code.
Unlike a normal barcode, it stores information in two dimensions.
Those three big squares in the corners help scanners quickly detect the code and its orientation.
And built-in error correction means a QR code can often still work even when part of it is damaged.
Then smartphones changed everything.
Once billions of people had cameras in their pockets, QR codes escaped the factory.
Payments. Tickets. Menus. Authentication. Advertising.
A technology built to track car parts became a bridge between the physical and digital worlds.
