QR codes are quite ubiquitous in Japan. So, there are now inexpensive hardware and software tools for printing and decoding them. This situation is allowing some people to explore novel applications of QR codes, something other than just encoding a URL for website access.

One interesting example of such explorations is the work by Jun Mitani at the University of Tsukuba, which uses QR codes to automatically track how people fold Origami paper.

[folding QR-code origami paper]

QR codes are printed all over on both sides of a sheet of paper. This makes it possible to analyze how it is folded just by using a digital camera. Each QR code encodes specific information that makes the analysis process easier.

via QR Code Blog