If you’re attending an m-learning conference in the future, consider having a QR Code for your own contact information added to your business card; getting a QR Code stamp made; adding a QR Code for your contact details or website to your presentation; or even having it printed on a t-shirt so other attendees can “snap” your details in seconds! :)

The Taiwan Academic Network Conference 2007 is being held this week at Taiwan National University. This year's theme is on ubiquitous campus and mobility, and one of the papers submitted is on using QR Codes to improve campus accessibility and navigation ("Study of Indoor Wayfinding Systems based on QR Codes and Spatial Navigation Models", by Yen-Yin Chu, Chung Yuan Christian University).

Chu's basic idea is to have QR Codes posted around the campus to help people unfamiliar with the environment find their way around.

This paper presents a feasible and effective solution for solving the document information retrieval (DIR) problem for both paper and electronic documents using the quick response code (QR Code). The two dimensional QR Codes provide much bigger data storage then traditional one dimensional barcodes, more document information can be embedded for making offline document processing possible. The document information is proposed to be stored into the QR Code in XML format for maximum portability and integration with other document processing systems. The evaluation results for the prototype system showed that many benefits can be obtained for both paper and electronic document processing environments.

In 1993, GS1 Japan drew up guidelines for the system using ASN and SCM in cooperation with the Japan Chain Store Association (JCA).
However, in the actual transactions, many SME business partners face difficulties in the use of ASN. In department stores, in particular, as these stores handle many product items, most of their business partners are SMEs that do not employ ASN systems.
To cope with this situation, in 1999, we conducted a pilot with Mitsukoshi Department Store (one of the largest department store chains in Japan) to encode ASN information into two-dimensional symbol (QR code, the most popular and widely-used in Japan) on the SCM label.

[...] The spread of this system has succeeded because of two factors:
One is that features of the system are recognized and appreciated by users, such as notation in Japanese (Chinese characters) is possible by means of the QR code, reading errors can be corrected, etc.
Another factor is that employing this system has enabled automated purchase report processing at department stores. Department stores publish detailed accounts payable data for each supplier on their websites, and this has promoted wide recognition of the advantages for suppliers and wholesalers who can now inquire about payment schedules immediately via the Internet instead of by telephone or fax.

Clever use of 2-dimensional barcodes by All Nippon Airways (ANA). If you opt for e-check-in on their website the system sends you a QR code. All you have to do is print it out, take the printout with you to the airport and hold it in front of the display of the check-in machine, which will then give you your boarding pass. Simple and easy.