What is it about?
We introduce a new scannable 2D code that abandons traditional matrix-based approaches (e.g., QRCodes) and instead stores data as a topology of nested color regions. Claycodes can be largely deformed, styled, and even animated. We present the complete encoding and decoding pipeline: a mapping between bits and topologies, shape-constrained rendering, and a robust real-time decoding pipeline. Finally, we evaluate our work against QR Codes and demonstrate the remarkable tolerance to deformation of Claycodes, especially for codes incorporating a design.
Featured Image
Photo by Oshin Khandelwal on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Claycode’s stylability and deformability unlock a new class of applications where traditional scannable codes fail. Unlike QR codes, Claycodes fully maintain their readability even when stretched, angled, or visually customized, making them ideal for use on clothing, skin, or embedded into everyday objects. Their design doesn't just tolerate, but embraces variation. They allow for expressive, embedded interaction without compromising function.
Perspectives
The thing I find compelling about this work -- and, in some sense, what started it -- is challenging what “machine-readable” means. In the world of design, people have mostly accepted QR codes as necessary but ugly or awkward additions to beautiful artworks. Claycode refuses that compromise -- the data is not just scannable, but part of the visual language. And, on top of that, it also manages to be impressive in function! I was surprised too when I saw the codes effortlessly scanning after applying a massive amount of deformation.
Marco Maida
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Claycode: Stylable and Deformable 2D Scannable Codes, ACM Transactions on Graphics, July 2025, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3730853.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Demo video
This video introduces Claycode, a novel 2D scannable code designed for extensive stylization and deformation. Unlike traditional matrix-based codes (e.g., QR codes), Claycodes encode their message in a tree structure. During the encoding process, bits are mapped into a topology tree, which is then depicted as a nesting of color regions drawn within the boundaries of a target polygon shape. When decoding, Claycodes are extracted and interpreted in real-time from a camera stream. We detail the end-to-end pipeline and show that Claycodes allow for extensive stylization without compromising their functionality. We then empirically demonstrate Claycode's high tolerance to heavy deformations, outperforming traditional 2D scannable codes in scenarios where they typically fail. Authors: Marco Maida, Alberto Crescini, Marco Perronet, Elena Camuffo
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Contributors
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