2D Barcode Research Articles

Automated computer-based detection of encounter behaviours in groups of honeybees

Honeybees form societies in which thousands of members integrate their behaviours to act as a single functional unit. We have little knowledge on how the collaborative features are regulated by workers’ activities because we lack methods that enable collection of simultaneous and continuous behavioural information for each worker bee. In this study, we introduce the Bee Behavioral Annotation System (BBAS), which enables the automated detection of bees’ behaviours in small observation hives. Continuous information on position and orientation were obtained by marking worker bees with 2D barcodes in a small observation hive. We computed behavioural and social features from the tracking information to train a behaviour classifier for encounter behaviours (interaction of workers via antennation) using a machine learning-based system. The classifier correctly detected 93% of the encounter behaviours in a group of bees, whereas 13% of the falsely classified behaviours were unrelated to encounter behaviours. The possibility of building accurate classifiers for automatically annotating behaviours may allow for the examination of individual behaviours of worker bees in the social environments of small observation hives. We envisage that BBAS will be a powerful tool for detecting the effects of experimental manipulation of social attributes and sub-lethal effects of pesticides on behaviour.

Print2Screen Mobile App: Embedding Multimedia in Printed ODL Course Materials using QR Codes

With the rise of OER and multimedia such as YouTube videos, many academic institutions are becoming mindful of the richness they bring into the teaching and learning process. Given that multimedia resources cannot be directly integrated into printed material, the only available alternative is to print hyperlinks, which teachers and learners can manually type into a web browser. This method becomes ridiculously ineffective as the length of the URL increases. To address this limitation with a special focus on print based ODL course materials, the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), which is a regional center of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), developed an innovative solution to seamlessly integrate multimedia into printed material using Quick Response Codes (QR codes) or 2D barcodes and an Android mobile application named “Print2Screen”. This paper highlights the rationale behind Print2Screen, the development process, how the solution is implemented in a real world scenario and the benefits it will bring to the ODL community especially in rural and developing parts of the world where stable access to technology is still a costly commodity.

A self-powered 2D barcode recognition system based on sliding mode triboelectric nanogenerator for personal identification

A self-powered 2D barcode recognition system based on sliding mode triboelectric nanogenerator for personal identification

Is QR code an optimal data container in optical encryption systems from an error-correction coding perspective?

Quick response (QR) code has been employed as a data carrier for optical cryptosystems in many recent research works, and the error-correction coding mechanism allows the decrypted result to be noise free. However, in this paper, we point out for the first time that the Reed-Solomon coding algorithm in QR code is not a very suitable option for the nonlocally distributed speckle noise in optical cryptosystems from an information coding perspective. The average channel capacity is proposed to measure the data storage capacity and noise-resistant capability of different encoding schemes. We design an alternative 2D barcode scheme based on Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem (BCH) coding, which demonstrates substantially better average channel capacity than QR code in numerical simulated optical cryptosystems.

Automatic extraction of 1D barcodes from video scans for drone-assisted inventory management in warehousing applications

ABSTRACTThe widespread use of barcodes has significantly contributed to accurate, efficient and economic inventory management in warehouses and distribution centres. However, its efficiency has always been limited by the primary method of reading barcodes with a handheld laser scanner. Compared with this reading by line-of-sight at close proximity, vision-based barcode reading algorithms can further improve efficiency, particularly if accompanied by automated data collection platforms such as drones. This paper introduces algorithms that are able to automatically extract barcodes from video data, and verifies their feasibility and promise for inventory management in warehousing applications. Three key techniques corresponding to different recognition levels are proposed: For a known barcode region, a Harris corner detector and Hough transform-based algorithm is applied to quickly estimate the angle by which the frame area needs to rotate to orient the bars vertically for information extraction. Then, the idea of exploiting connectivity and geometry property of barcode areas is proposed to directly recognise multiple barcode regions in a single video frame to eliminate reading difficulties resulting from interactive influence of multiple juxtaposed barcodes, and to save computation time by only processing frame areas of interest for valid barcodes. In addition, a histogram difference-based fast extraction strategy is designed to further improve efficiency by reducing duplicate information processing. Finally, the performance of each technique is evaluated by analysing video data from a large logistics warehouse, demonstrating satisfactory performance in inventory management applications.

Pictorial AR Tag with Hidden Multi-Level Bar-Code and Its Potential Applications

For decades, researchers have been trying to create intuitive virtual environments by blending reality and virtual reality, thus enabling general users to interact with the digital domain as easily as with the real world. The result is “augmented reality” (AR). AR seamlessly superimposes virtual objects on to a real environment in three dimensions (3D) and in real time. One of the most important parts that helps close the gap between virtuality and reality is the marker used in the AR system. While pictorial marker and bar-code marker are the two most commonly used marker types in the market, they have some disadvantages in visual and processing performance. In this paper, we present a novelty method that combines the bar-code with the original feature of a colour picture (e.g., photos, trading cards, advertisement’s figure). Our method decorates on top of the original pictorial images additional features with a single stereogram image that optically conceals a multi-level (3D) bar-code. Thus, it has a larger capability of storing data compared to the general 1D barcode. This new type of marker has the potential of addressing the issues that the current types of marker are facing. It not only keeps the original information of the picture but also contains encoded numeric information. In our limited evaluation, this pictorial bar-code shows a relatively robust performance under various conditions and scaling; thus, it provides a promising AR approach to be used in many applications such as trading card games, educations, and advertisements.

A REVIEW: ENHANCED STEGANOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE FOR 2D BARCODE IMAGES

Digital Steganography is a procedure of concealing key messages in a cover media while transmission happens between sender and receiver. Security of secret information has by and large been a vital matter from days passed by occasions to the present time [9]. The main merit of image steganography is that the message is encoded inside the image without any recognition to human eye or system of an attacker. Techniques for image steganography focuses on securing the transparency of the information that is hidden inside an image while ciphering. This paper includes a new method for LSB (Least Significant Bit) based image steganography for 2D barcode images. The main aspects of encoding data look over to develop an improved LSB encoding method [1].

Efficient Utilization of 2D Barcode (QR Code) in Boarding Pass for Managing Luggage at Air Port

Efficient Utilization of 2D Barcode (QR Code) in Boarding Pass for Managing Luggage at Air Port

Layer-by-layer assembly of long-afterglow self-supporting thin films with dual-stimuli-responsive phosphorescence and antiforgery applications

The assembly of thin films (TFs) having long-lasting luminescence can be expected to play an important role in the development of new-generation smart sensors, anti-counterfeiting materials, and information-encryption systems. However, such films are limited compared with their powder and solution counterparts. In this study, by exploiting the self-organization of phosphors in the two-dimensional (2D) galleries between clay nanosheets, we developed a method for the ordered assembly of long-afterglow TFs by utilizing a hydrogen-bonding layer-by-layer (LBL) process. Compared with the pristine powder, the TFs exhibit high polarization and up-conversion room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP), as well as enhanced quantum yields and luminescence lifetimes, allowing them to be used as room-temperature phosphorescent sensors for humidity and oxygen. Moreover, modified clay-based hybrids with multicolor RTP can serve as anti-counterfeiting marks and triple-mode 2D barcode displays. We anticipate that the LBL assembly process can be extended to the fabrication of other inorganic–organic room-temperature phosphorescent hybrids with smart luminescent sensor and antiforgery applications.

Efficient visual code localization with neural networks

The use of computer-readable visual codes became common in our everyday life both in industrial environments and for private use. The reading process of visual codes consists of two steps, namely, localization and data decoding. In this paper we examine the localization step of visual codes using conventional and deep rectifier neural networks. They are also evaluated in the discrete cosine transform domain and shown to be efficient, which makes full decompression unnecessary for setups involving JPEG images. This approach is also efficient from a storage viewpoint and computation cost viewpoint, since camera hardware can provide a JPEG stream as output in many cases. The use of neural networks implemented on graphics processing unit allows real-time automatic code object localization. In our earlier studies, the proposed approach was evaluated on the most popular code type, quick response code, and some other 2D codes as well. Here, we also prove that deep rectifier networks are also suitable for 1D barcode localization and present extensive evaluation and comparison to state-of-the-art approaches.

Quantization-based image authentication scheme using QR error correction

Image authentication, which is provided with capabilities of tamper detection and data recovery, is an efficient way to protect the contents of digital images. Vector quantization (VQ) is a data compression method. A VQ-compressed code is not only a significant image authentication feature but also applicable in restoring possibly damaged pixels. However, if an image is tampered with, the necessary recovery information disappears. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a quantization-based image authentication scheme using two-dimensional (2D) barcodes to protect important features. Compared with older linear barcodes, 2D barcodes are a machine-readable representation of binary data that possess capabilities of location and tolerance. This paper presents a method for incorporating VQ-compressed code into 2D barcodes and embedding those barcodes into the image itself. Experimental results showed that VQ codes can be completely reserved during data recovery even though quick response codes sustain certain perceptible distortions. Moreover, the proposed scheme provided higher quality authenticated and recovered images compared with previous methods.

Demonstration of patterned polymer-stabilized cholesteric liquid crystal textures for anti-counterfeiting two-dimensional barcodes.

We evaluated the feasibility of embedding periodically arranged squares with planar and vertical texture into a background with a developable-modulation (DM) type cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) fingerprint texture by a two-step ultraviolet-induced polymerization method. Checker-patterned optical diffractive elements, which can be seen as a variation of a two-dimensional (2D) barcode, were first realized and the dependence of diffraction behaviors on incident light polarization and applied voltage were investigated. Taking advantage of the natural randomness and uncontrollable variations of a DM-type fingerprint textures, a polymer-stabilized CLC (PSCLC) graphic symbol with a 2D barcode pattern was then implemented with enhanced anti-counterfeiting features that are difficult to falsify or duplicate. The results indicate that the multiplexing of nonuniform DM-type fingerprint gratings, cross-polarized light readout, and unique polarization diffraction characteristics can improve the level of security.

Routine Digital Pathology Workflow: The Catania Experience

Routine Digital Pathology Workflow: The Catania Experience

The EU Falsified Medicines Directive: Key Implications for Dispensers

The EU Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) mandates the serialisation of prescription-only medicines using a two-dimensional (2D) barcode by pharmaceutical companies and the systematic verification of this 2D barcode in pharmacies. This European directive has ramifications for many stakeholders, including market authorization holders, wholesalers, parallel importers, and dispensers. Focusing primarily on the impact on UK dispensers, the following questions are addressed in this article: Where should the affected medicines be scanned? and who will pay for the incoming changes to practice? The role of the EU FMD in terms of drug recalls, the preparation required for EU FMD compliance, and the potential for added healthcare value are also discussed. Dispensers must prepare for the February 2019 EU FMD deadline date by choosing a point within their dispensing processes to scan medicines. Dispensers must also budget appropriately for the incoming costs associated with new hardware and processes.

Development and validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes of healthcare professionals on using 2D bar-code technology: an extension of the Technical Acceptance Model

Development and validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes of healthcare professionals on using 2D bar-code technology: an extension of the Technical Acceptance Model

Quality Traceability System of Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on Two Dimensional Barcode Using Mobile Intelligent Technology

Currently, the chemical fingerprint comparison and analysis is mainly based on professional equipment and software, it’s expensive and inconvenient. This study aims to integrate QR (Quick Response) code with quality data and mobile intelligent technology to develop a convenient query terminal for tracing quality in the whole industrial chain of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine). Three herbal medicines were randomly selected and their chemical two-dimensional barcode (2D) barcodes fingerprints were constructed. Smartphone application (APP) based on Android system was developed to read initial data of 2D chemical barcodes, and compared multiple fingerprints from different batches of same species or different species. It was demonstrated that there were no significant differences between original and scanned TCM chemical fingerprints. Meanwhile, different TCM chemical fingerprint QR codes could be rendered in the same coordinate and showed the differences very intuitively. To be able to distinguish the variations of chemical fingerprint more directly, linear interpolation angle cosine similarity algorithm (LIACSA) was proposed to get similarity ratio. This study showed that QR codes can be used as an effective information carrier to transfer quality data. Smartphone application can rapidly read quality information in QR codes and convert data into TCM chemical fingerprints.

Evaluation of scanning 2D barcoded vaccines to improve data accuracy of vaccines administered

Evaluation of scanning 2D barcoded vaccines to improve data accuracy of vaccines administered

English

Egypt is one of the countries mostly faced with the problem of China’s fake spare parts used in replacing original components. The spare parts components trade is close to 2.7 billion LE out of 9.3 billion LE, that is, the volume of imported spare parts in Egypt, as announced by the official speaker of the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Egypt. Hence, it can be seen that China’s components adulteration problem is threatening nationally and internationally; and it is easier due to the great expansion of supply chains. Therefore, this paper aims to deliver the original parts to customers via three-bin-system (Kanban) by using e-kanban in creating e-pedigree kanban. Many aspects are discussed to control the transportation system with minimum costs. These include e-Pedigree, Databases, RFID, 2D barcodes, multi-agent systems, and the integration of these tools to develop a system to secure the importing spare parts via VSM (Value Stream Map). This paper proposed E-PKS (Electronic Pedigree Kanban System) for track and traces any products' logistic via using tracking procedures supported by image code technique. The E-PKS are joints of VSM and consist of two phases: the first control the VSM in different agents and the second phase focuses on the development of the 2D BC of the product to guarantee right channel to customers by using the proposed image code technique. Key words: China items adulteration, supply chain, multi-agent systems, E-Kanban, e-pedigree.

Fast Algorithm for Recognition of 2D Barcode: A Review

Fast Algorithm for Recognition of 2D Barcode: A Review

PiCode: A New Picture-Embedding 2D Barcode.

Nowadays, 2D barcodes have been widely used as an interface to connect potential customers and advertisement contents. However, the appearance of a conventional 2D barcode pattern is often too obtrusive for integrating into an aesthetically designed advertisement. Besides, no human readable information is provided before the barcode is successfully decoded. This paper proposes a new picture-embedding 2D barcode, called PiCode, which mitigates these two limitations by equipping a scannable 2D barcode with a picturesque appearance. PiCode is designed with careful considerations on both the perceptual quality of the embedded image and the decoding robustness of the encoded message. Comparisons with the existing beautified 2D barcodes show that PiCode achieves one of the best perceptual qualities for the embedded image, and maintains a better tradeoff between image quality and decoding robustness in various application conditions. PiCode has been implemented in the MATLAB on a PC and some key building blocks have also been ported to Android and iOS platforms. Its practicality for real-world applications has been successfully demonstrated.