Scannable Graffiti Acts Like A QR Code
Developed at the MIT Media Lab, Graffiti Codes allow people to encode information into a physical space.
Developed by Jeremy Rubin and Andrew Lippman from the Viral Spaces group at the MIT Media Lab, ‘Graffiti Codes‘ enables users to encode small pieces of information into a physical space, similar to a QR code.
It uses accelerometer-based paths to unlock data, which can be drawn onto any surface with tools such as markers. They can then be scanned by tracing over them with a mobile device and the Graffiti Code software converts the image into code that links to a webpage.
Whereas a QR code cannot be easily generated in the field, Graffiti Codes would only require a marker and a surface. They could be used to offer coupons to shoppers on the go or could recognize movement patterns and trigger a message. Lippman told New Scientist:
Graffiti Codes are part of a larger effort to make the world accessible and understandable. The idea is that it is easily created by anyone and as easily detected. Most other codes are harder to compose and imprint.