What is a QR Code?

QR is short for Quick Response and QR Codes were first invented in 1994 by a Japanese company director called Masahiro Hara. His company is called Denso Wave, a market leader in the development and manufacture of data capture devices such as barcodes and QR Codes. The QR Codes caught on worldwide with the introduction of mobile phones with cameras in the early 2000s and they have been with us ever since.

A QR Code is a shortcut that can take you anywhere — to a video, a product, a surprise. They also do not need to be printed on paper; they can be shown on drinks cans, business cards, posters, menus, on the sides of buses or taxis — and even on beer mats. 

If you want to see how this works in real time, just scan the QR Code below by aiming the camera on your mobile phone at the screen if you are on your desktop or laptop computer and see where it takes you. That way you can see the process in action.

However, if you’re on your mobile phone while reading this, just click here to follow the same route as the QR Code, as I don't think you can have your mobile internet browser open and scan the QR Code with your camera at the same time.

Now you’ve not only learnt what a QR code is, but you’ve used one — and in the process, hopefully found a resource you may enjoy!

Trevor Mulligan