• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, October 8, 2013

QR codes are on the move – literally.

I’ve seen quite a lot of different mobile technologies at the Money2020 conference in Las Vegas over the last couple of days but one of the most intriguing was around a new type of QR code.

Rather than the traditional black square, static QR code, a mobile remote payment company showed a code that is constantly in motion.

The code can carry personal identify information and its targeted use is for ID and ticketing, according to Janos Koka, CEO of Cellum, the European mobile payments application developer.

Koka and the Cellum team demonstrated the code in action in a private showing and suggested the technology could be advance the use of mobile devices for transportation, event ticketing and personalized coupons.

I saw an early version of what Cellum calls Motion QR a few months back but the one I saw this week demonstrated the potential uses.

The motion code allows for multiple data sets to be integrated into a single graphic code that changes 10 times per second.

Cellum says the code could contain complete photo IDs (the live demo contained a person’s entire driver license), passports, monthly transportation passes or any kind of biometric data, all of which could be shown on a smartphone without being able to be copied or forwarded.

(I took a picture of the moving code, but the photo shows only one moment in time of the continually moving code).

Cellum is no stranger to dealing with codes and security, since it developed the MasterCard Mobile remote payment app in Eastern Europe.

Koka pointed out that though it is technically possible to capture a stream of images such as a motion QR code, the Cellum technology ties the code to the identity of the user.

Cellum employs either a photo of the authorized user or another form of biometric information.

Offline verification also is possible, using a scanner or smartphone. For example, an authenticated and encrypted version of a fingerprint can be displayed on the phone screen, allowing the identity of its holder to check in with an offline fingerprint scanner.

The idea is that the Motion QR code can only be issued and sent to a person’s phone by the competent authority, such as a ticket issuing company or official ID card issuing authority.

Unlike traditional QR code usages, this one is not for packaging.

Ultimately, Motion QR could add a totally new dimension to mobile ticketing.