The tiny labels are just 3 millimeters across — about the size of the @ symbol on a typical computer keyboard. Yet they can contain far more information than an ordinary barcode: thousands of bits. Currently they require a lens and a built-in LED light source, but future versions could be made reflective, similar to the holographic images now frequently found on credit cards, which would be much cheaper and more unobtrusive.
“We’re trying to make it nearly invisible, but at the same time easy to read with a standard camera, even a mobile phone camera” say the lead author of the paper from Media Lab, postdoc Ankit Mohan. The co-authors, besides Raskar, are graduate student Grace Woo, Shinsaku Hiura (a visiting professor from Osaka University), and postdoc Quinn Smithwick.
Check it out and be sure to watch the video (a bit technical, but worth the effort).
And here's a round-up of what's available today (from the Global Executive Retail Council):
Here's a relevant story on eBay's RedLaser bar code scanning app.
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