What is a Bokode – The Next Evolution in Barcode Technology

Bokodes are a recent development in barcode tech. They were founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by researchers who wanted to develop a barcode that could hold thousands of times more data than contemporary barcodes, without sacrificing the ability to be scanned by modern smartphones or scanning devices. 

Bokodes have a distinct look, utilizing an LED light underneath a tiny mask and lens, making them unreadable when scanned in high-focus, but easily scanned when blurred. 

If that sounds confusing, don’t worry, MyQRCode is here to help! In this in-depth guide, we’re going to look at what makes Bokode such an exciting development, identifying the specifications that allow them to store vast data caches, and how they can be used in the future.

Technology Behind Bokode

Most consumers have a basic understanding of how QR codes work. However, Bokodes look completely distinct from traditional 1D and 2D barcodes because they use LED lights to decode information. 

Let’s break down Bokodes into easily digestible sections, exploring how each segment works independently. 

What’s Included in a Bokode? 

Bokodes include data matrix codes. This term might sound familiar, as it includes 2D barcodes like QR codes and Aztec codes. 

Both types of codes use variations of the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) encoding standards. This is simply a standard method for companies encoding URLs into QR codes. They contain ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Exchange) and non-ASCII coding standards. ASCII is a collection of Latin characters that makes up digital constructs like URLs, PDF files, and more. 

What makes Bokodes special is that they hold multiple data matrix codes at once. This allows them to store an almost imperceptible amount of data. And the most incredible part of this is that Bokodes store all of that data in a circular barcode with a 3mm diameter. To give you a sense of scale, that’s roughly the thickness of two pennies pressed together!

Why Do Bokodes Use LED Lights? 

Now, the addition of LED lights might seem like a strange addition, but they’re integral to how Bokodes are decoded. 

Bokodes place an LED light under a lens and a photographic mask. A photographic mask is an opaque material with transparent areas that allow light to filter through, projecting specific patterns (in this case data matrix patterns). These patterns can then be picked up by a camera or scanner, which moves us nicely onto our next section. 

How are Bokodes Scanned? 

Now comes the interesting part. Bokodes, like their more-traditional counterparts, use light to decode data. However, what makes Bokodes different is that they use an LED to throw out rays of light through the photomask, which then alters the brightness of the rays depending on their angle, creating patterns. 

These light patterns can then be identified by a scanner or smartphone, where they’re broken into small grids. Once in these small grids, they’re paired with a character where they can be used to form larger grids of characters readable by humans. 

There is a slight difference between how Bokodes and QR codes are read, however. Bokodes needs to be viewed through an out-of-focus filter. When a camera views a focused image of a Bokode, they appear as glowing dots. When viewed out-of-focus, the data matrices within are easily viewed and read by a camera or scanner. 

Bokode Error Correction Levels

As we mentioned, Bokodes are made up of multiple 2D barcodes, which can be encoded with error correction protocols. These allow us to read the barcodes, even if they’re partially damaged. 2D barcodes are commonly encoded using Reed-Solomon error correction, which helps to safeguard their utility. 

Data Capacity of Bokodes

The data capacity of Bokodes far exceeds the capabilities of standard 2D barcodes. To give you an idea, let’s look at the data capacity of a QR code. 

QR codes can store up to 4269 alphanumeric characters. Now, if you’re using a Bokode, and you encode it with four QR codes, that Bokode will be storing 17,076 alphanumeric characters. And they can store much more than that! 

Bokode Code Standards

Bokodes themselves don’t have code standards. They utilize Aztec codes and QR codes, which are encoded using ISO standards. 

ISO standards are made up of ASCII coding models which use Latin characters. If you’re using non-ASCII characters, like those found in Cyrillic, Arabic, and some Germanic languages, you’ll need to represent the specific characters as percentage values using UTF-8 standards. 

Bokode Size 

Bokodes are exponentially smaller than other barcodes. For instance, the smallest QR codes are usually printed in 3cm x 3cm dimensions. And while that’s pretty small, it’s nothing in comparison to the circular 3mm diameter of Bokodes. 

It’s possible to make them this small because they use different light angles and brightnesses, easily picked up by cameras and scanners. 

Scanning Bokodes

The researchers at MIT wanted to ensure that normal smartphone cameras and scanners could easily scan bokodes. And they were completely successful, so you won’t need any specialized software to scan them. 

Bokodes are tiny, so you might think you need to stand up close to scan the barcode. After all, the optimum scanning distance of a QR code is around 10 cm to 15 cm for smaller codes, and 225 cm to 600 cm for larger ones. You can scan Bokodes from up to 12 ft (365 cm) away, however, and you can also scan them on the move, as Bokodes account for factors like motion blur. 

Generating Bokodes 

While the process of making a Bokode is complex, you can generate QR codes and encode them into Bokodes pretty easily. For instance, you can use the MyQRCode platform to generate your own QR codes easily, for any need. 

1. Go to the generator page
2. Select what digital material you want to link to, like PDFs, vCards, links, and more
3. Link to your webpage or PDFs, or input all your information if you’re linking to vCards, social media, business pages, etc. 
4. Design your QR code. For Bokodes, keep to a regular black and white color scheme, but you can add logos and change corner squares and QR patterns, without sacrificing functionality
5. Finally, generate your QR code

To encode them into Bokodes, you’ll need to embed the patterns on a photomask, which will require the use of a specialist platform. 

Benefits of Bokodes

There are plenty of benefits associated with Bokodes. They might be a relatively new invention, but it can’t be understated just how good they can be. Benefits include: 

• Massive storage capabilities
• Scannable from a distance of up to 365 cm 
• Scannable on the move
• Take up a small amount of space (3 mm diameter)

Limitations of Bokodes

Despite the raft of clear benefits, adoption of Bokodes has been slow with most still favoring QR codes and other types of barcodes.

But if Bokodes are so great, why aren’t they being used? The answer is simple. It’s currently too expensive to mass-produce Bokodes, mostly because of the additional components required for them to work. It costs roughly $5 to make just one Bokode, which might not sound like much, but if you’re making 1000s of them, you’ll quickly run up a huge bill. 

Much of the costs relate to the LED and the constant need for power. But, there is hope on the horizon; there are already prototypes made with reflective materials rather than an LED. 

That means they won’t require a powerpack to work, which will help to keep costs down. But we’re likely a few years away before Bokode technology reaches a point where they’re both practically and economically viable. 

Differences Between Bokodes and QR Codes 

There are some very distinct differences between Bokodes and QR codes. While Bokodes often use QR codes directly, it’s important not to think of them as glorified QR codes. Let’s explore the main differences below: 

Factor
Bokode 
QR Code
Appearance
Bright 3mm circle with data matrices encoded inside
Data matrix made up of black and white squares
Data Capacity 
Huge data capacity
Large data capacity, though limited in comparison to Bokodes
Compatibility
Compatible with smartphone cameras and scanners 
Compatible with smartphone cameras and scanners 
Scanning Distance
Can be scared from 12ft (365 cm) away 
Scanning distance depends on size of QR code, with the furthest distance being 255 cm.
Cost 
High overhead costs 
Low overhead costs

QR Code Generator 

Bokodes are likely the future of barcode technology, but there’s still plenty of time before they become a main competitor. Bokodes have huge storage capabilities, don’t take much physical space, and can be scanned from further away than a QR code, but their high costs currently prevent them from widespread market adoption.
 
That means QR codes are still your best bet if you want to store easily scannable information. Thankfully, you can generate your own QR code using the MyQRCode platform. 

We specialize in generating dynamic QR codes, allowing you to edit the information at any time you want, without generating new QR codes. Additionally, you’ll have plenty of design options with the ability to change colors, add borders, choose between QR pattern and corner square presets, and add your own logo. So, what are you waiting for? 

Use our QR Code Generator today!