Bokode: The New and Improved Barcode

Measuring only three millimeters in diameter, detectable by mobile phone cameras as far as 12 feet away and capable of holding hundreds of times the information of traditional barcodes, the new MIT-developed bokode system could revolutionize the way we shop.

As an example, imagine standing in front of a bookshelf holding thousands of books. The bokode system would allow users to immediately find the book they were looking for, just by snapping a photo of the bookshelf with their mobile phone. At $5 a piece to produce, the bokode system is still too pricey to be practical, but this seems like the future to me.

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