Super modules-based active QR codes for smart trackability and IoT: a responsive-banknotes case study

João F C B Ramalho,Rute A S Ferreira,Paulo S André,Pedro Adão,Lianshe Fu,Lília M S Dias,Sandra F H Correia,Paulo Mateus

doi:10.1038/s41528-020-0073-1

João F C B Ramalho, Rute A S Ferreira + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-020-0073-1

Copy DOI

Abstract

The general use of smartphones assigns additional relevance to QR codes as a privileged tool to the Internet of Things (IoT). Crucial for QR codes is the evolution to IoT-connected smart tags with enhanced storage capacity and secure accesses. Using the concept of super-modules (s-modules) built from adjacent spatial multiplexed modules with regular geometrical shapes, assisted by colour multiplexing, we modelled and design a single QR code with, at least, the triple storage capacity of an analogous size black/white QR code, acting as a smart-tag ensuring restrict access and trackability. The s-modules are printed using luminescent low-cost and eco-friendly inks based on organic-inorganic hybrids modified by lanthanides with multiplexed colour emission in the orthogonal RGB space. The access to the restrict information is attained only under UV irradiation and encrypted for secure transmission. The concept of active QR codes for smart trackability and IoT was materialised through the development of a free friendly-user mobile app.

Highlights

Internet of Things (IoT) is expanding daily, reaching applications in the fields of industry[1] and smart cities[2], bridging living entities, processes and devices with the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), inspiring new concepts as “Internet of NanoThings”3, “Internet of Food”4, “Internet of Biology”[5] or “Internet of Animals”[6]
IoT can be considered as an ubiquitous network, which allows the communication between human-to-human (H2H), human-to-machine (H2M) and machine-to-machine (M2M), in which each element has a unique identity[8]
The s-modules printed with eco-friendly luminescent inks form distinct layers of information storage with the public, restrict and/or encrypted accesses, yielding a new generation of active QR codes materialised in the development of a free access mobile application for smartphones

Summary

Introduction

Internet of Things (IoT) is expanding daily, reaching applications in the fields of industry[1] and smart cities[2], bridging living entities, processes and devices with the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), inspiring new concepts as “Internet of NanoThings”3, “Internet of Food”4, “Internet of Biology”[5] or “Internet of Animals”[6]. The s-modules printed with eco-friendly luminescent inks form distinct layers of information storage with the public, restrict and/or encrypted accesses, yielding a new generation of active QR codes materialised in the development of a free access mobile application for smartphones (mobile app).

Results

Conclusion