The human identity is understood to be built from a host of different elements, and yet none define us better than that tendency to grow on a consistent basis. This willingness to improve, no matter the situation, has brought the world some huge milestones, with technology emerging as quite a major member of the group. The reason why we hold technology in such a high regard is, by and large, predicated upon its skill-set, which guided us towards a reality that nobody could have ever imagined otherwise. Nevertheless, if we look beyond the surface for a second, it will become clear how the whole runner was also very much inspired from the way we applied those skills across a real world environment. The latter component, in fact, did a lot to give the creation a spectrum-wide presence, and as a result, initiate a full-blown tech revolution. Of course, this revolution eventually went on to scale up the human experience through some outright unique avenues, but even after achieving a feat so notable, technology will somehow continue to bring forth the right goods. The same has turned more and more evident in recent times, and assuming one new discovery ends up with the desired impact, it will only put that trend on a higher pedestal moving forward.

The researching team at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) has successfully developed an invisible fluorescent tag called BrightMarker, which is supposed to be hidden in 3D-printed objects, such as a ball, container, gadget case, or gear, for the purpose of tracking the given item. Before we get into the solution itself, we must talk about what sort of problem would spell such a development. You see, as harmless as they might seem, QR codes always carry a risk of getting maliciously replaced or tampered, thus tricking  you into giving away your data to unwanted parties. In response to this problem, the researchers created a technology fit for optimal motion tracking, virtual reality navigation, and object detection. So, how can a user avail their BrightMarker? Well, they can literally manufacture it by downloading the CSAIL team’s software plugin for 3D modeling programs like Blender. Once they have placed the tag within the geometry of their design, they can export it as an STL file for 3D printing. There, using fluorescent filaments present inside the printer, they can fabricate an object with a hidden tag, much like an invisible QR code. Notably enough, the tag has to be embedded before it’s fabricated.

“In today’s rapidly evolving world, where the lines between the real and digital environments continue to blur, there is an ever-increasing demand for robust solutions that seamlessly connect physical objects with their digital counterparts,” said, Mustafa Doğa Doğan, MIT CSAIL and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Ph.D. candidate.”BrightMarkers serve as gateways to ‘ubiquitous metadata’ in the physical realm. This term refers to the concept of embedding metadata—descriptive information about the object’s identity, origin, function, and more—directly into physical items, akin to an invisible digital signature accompanying each product.”

Coming back to the fluorescent filaments, they have a huge role to play, considering they enable each tag to emit light at a specific near-infrared wavelength, making them viewable with high contrast in infrared cameras. Complimenting them are two attachable hardware setups capable of detecting BrightMarkers: one for smartphones, and the other for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headsets. Although built for separate technology, both the setups have a capacity to view and scan the markers, which so happens to resemble those glow-in-the-dark QR codes. Having said that, the BrightMarkers are essentially imperceptible to the eye, thus meaning they are more or less safe from any tampering.

Beyond general safety of user’s data, the tag can be implemented into wearables that precisely follow limb movements. The system can also help all the people who might be suffering with some form of impairments and different limb sizes, Next up, they have a further use case across the manufacturing space, as the manufacturer could scan the tags at different locations to grab metadata about the product’s origin and movements. Just like that, consumers can also check a product’s digital signature to verify ethical sourcing and recycling information. Hold on, there is more. The BrightMarker has some utility to offer for night vision monitoring, too, in the context of home security. Here, a camera could be equipped with hardware designed to trace and notify the owner about any suspicious movements. Notably, the technology in play, unlike other cameras available for the job, wouldn’t need to capture the user’s whole room, thus keeping their privacy downright intact.

For the future, the researchers are mulling over an idea of combining this technology with magnetic filaments. By doing so, they’ll ensure that the object’s magnetic field can also be tracked. Another way through which they will likely improve detection is rooted in producing filaments with higher fluorochrome concentrations.

“BrightMarker holds tremendous promise in reshaping our real-life interactions with technology,” he notes. “As this technology continues to evolve, we can envision a world where BrightMarkers become seamlessly integrated into our everyday objects, facilitating effortless interactions between the physical and digital realms,” said Doğan. “From retail experiences where consumers can access detailed product information in stores to industrial settings, where BrightMarkers streamline supply chain tracking, the possibilities are vast.