History - Inventions and discoveries - QR codes - Barcodes - Japan - History of inventions
Which Japanese engineer led the team that developed the QR code in 1994?
Correct!
The Japanese engineer Masahiro Hara led the development team at DENSO that developed the QR code in 1994. The new technology was originally intended to make work easier in Japanese production facilities, where conventional barcodes could not store enough information and had to be scanned several times. Masahiro Hara therefore looked for a two-dimensional code that could store significantly more data and still be read very quickly. The abbreviation QR stands for “Quick Response”. A key innovation is the striking square recognition patterns in three corners of the QR code. This allows a scanner to very quickly see where the code is and from which direction it is being viewed. For these markings, Masahiro Hara examined numerous printed patterns and ultimately developed the characteristic black and white structure with a ratio of 1:1:3:1:1. This pattern rarely occurs in ordinary printed matter and therefore enables reliable recognition. The QR code was initially developed for automobile production, but later spread worldwide and is now used, for example, for websites, tickets, payments and product information. The Japanese Patent Office specifically names Masahiro Hara as the inventor of the QR code.
Masahiro Hara led the team at DENSO that developed the QR code in 1994.
