Masahiro Hara created the QR code in 1994 when he was working for Denso Wave, a Toyota subsidiary. What started as a solution to track auto parts in factories ended up revolutionizing the world. The company decided not to charge the patent and released the technology completely so that anyone could use it for free.
The 67-year-old engineer recently confessed that his biggest satisfaction wasn't the money he could have made, but seeing how his invention transformed the lives of billions of people. From digital payments to restaurant menus, its creation processes over 2 billion daily transactions in China alone.
The most interesting thing is that inspiration came to him by playing a Japanese board game called Go during his lunch time. Seeing the black and white pieces on the board, he had a revelation that would change the world: that pattern could transmit information quickly and efficiently.
🌏 Hara continues to work at Denso Wave as general manager, improving its original invention and developing color QR codes that could store short videos or medical images.
In October 2024 he traveled to France to celebrate 30 years since his creation, where he was honored as the silent hero of the digital age.
- Your code can store 7,000 characters vs the 20 traditional barcode
- The pandemic multiplied its exponential use across the planet
- Saved global industries billions of dollars
💭 "I never thought they would be used to exchange money or in hospitals." "I just wanted to do something practical for the factory," says the man who gave up a fortune to change the world.
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