3M-funded German star-up Printechnologics has launched an application for its printed electronics technology enabling mobile phone touchscreens to read digital data hidden in paper.
The AirCode touch technology dispenses with the need to enter URLs or codes to access information about a product online
The application works with existing multi-touch smartphone displays to read invisible digital information printed on paper, cardboard or foils. Most Apple, Android and Windows Phone 7 smartphones on the market today can exploit the technology and no camera, RFID or NFC chips are required.
Data tags
AirCode touch can be used to for a broad variety of marketing and consumer information applications like loyalty programmes, brand protection, lotteries and access to online content.
The data tags can be printed on standard offset presses, keeping production costs low.
Printechnologics licenses its patents and provides technical training to customers so they can print the functionality, enabled by the technology, onto products without modifying their supply chains. The AirCode touch application builds on the company's high security identification technology, AirCode pro.
According to company CTO and founder Jan Thiele the interest in his company's technology in its various farms is global: 'The US is very strong in publishing and media, Europe is more about security. Both are very strong in marketing. Asia is mostly about security and marketing.'
He adds that the next four generations of the AirCode technology are in development and one application will enable single-item tagging at low cost.
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3M
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