Could this be further evidence of backward engineered technology, or future tracking devices?

Barcode Replacement Shown Off

As I was surfing the web, I came across this article on www.bbc.co.uk. I vaguely remember something to do with this new barcode technology a while ago, but to see it is to understand a little better.

Video Link

news.bbc.co.uk...

BBC NEWS

A replacement for the black and white stripes of the traditional barcode has been outlined by US researchers. Bokodes, as they are known, can hold thousands of times more information than their striped cousins and can be read by a standard mobile phone camera. The 3mm-diameter (0.1 inches), powered tags could be used to encode nutrition information on food packaging or create new devices for playing video games. The work will be shown off at Siggraph, a conference in New Orleans next week. "We think that our technology will create a new way of tagging," Dr Ankit Mohan, one of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers behind the work, told BBC News. Distant reader The Bokodes currently consist of an LED, covered with a tiny mask and a lens.

Information is encoded in the light shining through the mask, which varies in brightness depending on which angle it is seen from. Bokode Bokodes use light to encode information "It is either bright or dark depending on how we want to encode the information," said Dr Mohan. The researchers believe the system has many advantages over conventional barcodes. For example, they say, the tags are smaller, can be read from different angles and can be interrogated from far away by a standard mobile phone camera. "For traditional barcodes you need to be a foot away from it at most," said Dr Mohan. The team has shown its barcodes can be read from a distance of up to 4m (12ft), although they should theoretically work up to 20m (60ft). "One way of thinking about it is a long-distance barcode." Initially, said Dr Mohan, the Bokodes may be used in factories or industrial settings to keep track of objects.

An image of a Bokode:


A comparison of older barcodes to the center Bokode:



[edit on 27-7-2009 by GideonHM]

These codes have been used by UPS for quite some time.

Yes, they have and that would be from where I was remembering the Bokodes. However, that doesn't mean that they don't deserve a closer look.
These devices are now beginning to find newer applications, as well as less criticism unlike RFIDs, so I am postulating that this article could be pointing out a new trend in usage of Bokodes. Could you think of a military weapons use for this technology? I would like to think so, but nothing is coming to mind.

How in any way is this proof of backward engineered technology? do you think humans are stupid or something? Anyway,barcodes have been about for a while now.Makes sense we would upgrade them...not something that excites me much but it's a natural progression of technology.