Have you ever watched a superhero movie and wished you had special powers to see things differently?
That’s kind of the idea behind a super cool invention called “StructCode.”
Mustafa Doğa Doğan, a smarty-pants student at MIT, is part of a team that’s trying to change how we see everyday objects.
They want to make stuff like wooden toys, flower pots, or picture frames carry secret information!
Now, you might be thinking, “Why would my flower pot need to tell me a secret?” Hang tight, and I’ll explain!
A little while ago, this team came up with “InfraredTags,” where they put invisible tags on things. These tags could share info about the object. But, the catch was, you needed a special camera to see them. Plus, making these tags took a long time.
Enter StructCode. It’s faster and works with the regular cameras on our phones! Instead of using tags, they put codes into the actual design of objects, especially in the parts where they join together.
Imagine two wooden pieces coming together like a puzzle with zigzag edges. Those zigzags can carry a code. By changing the lengths of the zigzags a tiny bit, they can hide information in them.
So, if you had a special app on your phone and pointed your camera at this puzzle-like joint, it would tell you a secret about the object!
It’s even cooler if you have those fancy augmented reality glasses. With them, as soon as you look at the object, the info just pops up. No need to point a camera!
So, what kind of secrets are we talking about?
Imagine a wooden picture frame in a museum. With StructCode, when you point your camera at it, it might tell you about the artist who made the painting inside or maybe even show a video of the artist talking about their work.
Or, think about a toy crocodile for kids. Using StructCode, it could teach children cool science stuff about crocodiles when they scan it with their phones.
Even a flower pot could remind you when you last watered the plant or when to water it next.
Now, this might all sound like magic, but it’s all thanks to science, tech, and some smart thinking. People in the know, like professors and scientists from around the world, are already giving thumbs up to this invention. They believe it can change how we learn and interact with everyday things around us.
And the best part? The team isn’t stopping here. They’re dreaming big. They think they could hide information not just in wooden objects, but maybe in the patterns on clothes or even in a picture’s design.
Mustafa Doğa Doğan is super excited about what’s coming next. In his words, this is just the start of making our world more interactive and fun!
So, next time you look at an ordinary object, think about the cool secrets it might be hiding. Thanks to StructCode, the future is looking both mysterious and exciting!
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