A QR Code You Can’t Read With Your iPhone5

Image from Engadget.com

In the marketing communication industry, everyone is blue in the face talking about QR codes. Every time I hear the phrase “QR code” these days, I cringe. More often than not, they are improperly used. But now there is a good case for their use in protecting our currency.

Researchers at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology have created a tiny version of the QR code that can be used in protecting currency from being counterfeited. These nanocodes are created with blue and green florescent ink and can be applied to many surfaces to prove authenticity. The code is only visible under near-infrared laser light. It’s expected that criminals would someday catch onto this and be able to mimic the code, but isn’t this always the case with crime?

Let’s just hope that the codes the criminals place on their counterfeit bills don’t take you to their Facebook pages! Wouldn’t that be ironic?

Author: John Mehl