What are the three large squares in the corners for?

Helping scanners find the code's position

Why can a scratched QR code still work?

Error correction can rebuild missing data

How did COVID-19 boost QR code use?

Restaurants used them for contactless menus

They were used only in hospitals

QR Code Quiz: How Denso Wave Invented the Square Code

Engineer Masahiro Hara designed a code in 1994 to track car parts in Toyota's factories, and this QR code quiz explains how it reached every phone and restaurant table. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on Denso Wave, the three corner squares, Quick Response, error correction, data capacity, the free patent policy, mobile payments and pandemic menus.

Start QR Code Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Year
When was the QR code invented?
Inventor
Which engineer led the QR code's development?
Name
What does QR stand for?
Game
Which board game inspired the design?
Corners
What are the three large squares in the corners for?
Damage
Why can a scratched QR code still work?
Capacity
Roughly how many numeric digits can a QR code store at most?
Patent
Why did QR codes spread so widely?
Payments
Where did QR codes become central to everyday payments?
Pandemic
How did COVID-19 boost QR code use?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: When was the QR code invented?
Answer: 1994
Denso Wave released it to track automotive parts.
Q2: Which engineer led the QR code's development?
Answer: Masahiro Hara
He worked at Denso Wave, part of the Toyota group.
Q3: What does QR stand for?
Answer: Quick Response
It was designed to be read fast.
Q4: Which board game inspired the design?
Answer: Go
Hara thought of the black and white stones on a Go board.
Q5: What are the three large squares in the corners for?
Answer: Helping scanners find the code's position
They let readers detect orientation quickly.
Q6: Why can a scratched QR code still work?
Answer: Error correction can rebuild missing data
At the highest level, up to about 30 percent can be restored.
Q7: Roughly how many numeric digits can a QR code store at most?
Answer: About 7,000
Barcodes hold far less information.
Q8: Why did QR codes spread so widely?
Answer: Denso Wave chose not to enforce its patent
Anyone could use the format freely.
Q9: Where did QR codes become central to everyday payments?
Answer: China
Apps like Alipay and WeChat Pay use them.
Q10: How did COVID-19 boost QR code use?
Answer: Restaurants used them for contactless menus
Many people scanned codes for the first time.

Qr Code Quiz – The Square Code That Took Over

The QR code, short for Quick Response, was invented in 1994 by Masahiro Hara at Denso Wave, part of the Toyota group, to track car parts. Its design was inspired by the black and white stones of the game Go.

Three large corner squares help scanners find the code, and error correction lets damaged codes still work. A single code can hold thousands of numbers. Because Denso Wave chose not to enforce its patent, anyone could use the format.

QR codes spread on Japanese phones, became central to mobile payments in China and surged during the COVID-19 pandemic for contactless menus.

What This Quiz Teaches

Tech fans and curious readers will enjoy these questions.

Who invented QR codes
What inspired the design
How the corners work
Why they spread
Where they are used

Did You Know?

QR codes can store website links, text or Wi-Fi details.
Phone cameras can read them without a special app.
Artistic QR codes can include logos.
Fake QR codes can lead to scams.
Micro QR codes exist for small labels.