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The QR code, invented by the Japanese in the 1990s, became very useful during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michael Schatzberg, co-founder of a restaurant group in the United States, said that QR codes are now very popular with customers.
Many restaurants allow guests to scan QR codes with their mobile phones, read menu content, order and pay, the whole process becomes very simple and convenient, without waiting for service personnel.
QR codes were invented by the Japanese in the mid-1990s and were originally used to track parts produced by automobiles.
Compared with the rectangular barcode, the square QR code can store more information and can store 2500 numbers or letters, while the general barcode can only store 43.
The information that the QR code can store includes name, location, website, etc. Simply scan the QR code with your mobile phone to read the relevant information immediately, or open a web page or app to read more.
Apple is reported to be developing an advanced version of the QR code, so square-shaped QR codes can also be presented with dots, circles, and various colors.
After the outbreak of the new corona virus, the convenient scanning function to connect to the online world and read data quickly has become the biggest attraction of QR codes.
Many bars and restaurants have introduced QR codes to facilitate customer ordering and payment, avoiding unnecessary contact opportunities.
Schatzberg said that technological advances that may have taken several years in the past are now achieved in just a few months.
In addition to the catering industry, the pharmaceutical industry has also introduced QR codes. Patients can use their mobile phones to pay for medicines as long as they scan the QR code, without unnecessary contact.
Some tech startups have also applied QR codes to the retail industry. A Swedish company launched Grid technology, which allows retail stores to display QR codes on screens outside the door. Passersby can scan QR codes to view product photos and photos without entering the store, video and pay to buy.
Today, many retail industries in more than 24 countries have embraced this technology, including clothing retailer H&M, furniture chain BoConcept, and hotel chain Radisson Blu. Some stores provide QR codes for customers to scan and provide information (Credit: Getty Images)
The QR code can also be used in public health and epidemic prevention work. Scanning the QR code helps to track the epidemic, so that people who have contact with the confirmed person can isolate themselves.
In the UK, some public places display the NHS epidemic prevention QR code. Consumers can scan the QR code to record their whereabouts, so there is no need to provide personal information to the store.
If there are public places where the confirmed person has been, other customers who have been to these places will also receive warning notices to remind them that they have been in the same environment as the confirmed person.
Some supermarkets have also introduced QR code technology to allow consumers to scan QR codes to pay. Grabango has launched a so-called “no payment technology”, similar to Amazon Go from Amazon.
In Grabango stores, you only need to buy items and scan your personal QR code before leaving the store to automatically deduct the payment.
Buying without paying is the future development trend of supermarkets. Some supermarkets have launched smart shopping cart services. Whenever consumers place products in the shopping cart, they can automatically identify them and sync them with consumers’ mobile phones. Scan before leaving the supermarket The QR code on the phone will load automatically.
But these technologies also raise privacy concerns, and Graham William Greenleaf, professor of law and information technology at the University of New South Wales, has reservations about that.
He said that after the establishment of the QR code system, there is no corresponding privacy protection law, and the QR code application has privacy problems in tracking epidemics or consumer purchases.
But he also said that this requires legislative departments of the government to take action, rather than relying on companies using QR code technology.