QRpedia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
QRpedia

A QRpedia code which resolves as the URL http://en.qrwp.org/QRpedia, used widely as the logo
Screenshot  The QRpedia website, showing a QR code, which decodes as the URL http://en.qrwp.org/QRpedia
Available in	Multilingual
Created by	Terence Eden Roger Bamkin
Commercial	No
Registration	None
Launched	9 April 2011; 14 years ago (2011-04-09)
Current status	Online
Content licence	MIT Licence

QRpedia is a cool system that uses special codes called QR codes to show you Wikipedia articles on your phone or tablet. It makes sure you see the article in your favorite language! Imagine visiting a museum and scanning a code next to an exhibit. QRpedia then shows you the Wikipedia page about that exhibit, right on your device.

This system was created by Roger Bamkin, who volunteers for Wikipedia, and coded by Terence Eden. It was first shown in April 2011. Many museums and other places around the world use QRpedia. You can find it in countries like Australia, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The way QRpedia works is open for anyone to use or change, thanks to its MIT License.

How QRpedia Works

Visitors to Derby Museum using a mobile phone to scan a QRpedia QR code

When you scan a QRpedia code with your mobile device, your device reads the code. This code contains a special web address. This address tells your device to go to the QRpedia website.

Your device also tells the QRpedia website what language you prefer. The QRpedia website then looks for the Wikipedia article you want. It tries to find it in your chosen language.

If the article is available in your language, QRpedia shows it to you. It makes sure the article looks good on your phone or tablet. If the article isn't in your language, QRpedia offers other languages. It can even use Google Translate to help.

This means one QR code can give information in many languages. Museums can share details with visitors from all over the world. They don't need to translate everything themselves. QRpedia also keeps track of how many people scan the codes.

The Start of QRpedia

QRpedia was thought up by Roger Bamkin, a Wikipedia volunteer. Terence Eden, who works with mobile websites, helped create it. It was first shown on April 9, 2011. This happened at the Derby Museum and Art Gallery in England.

This event was part of a project called "GLAM/Derby." GLAM stands for Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums. During this project, over 1,200 Wikipedia articles were created. These articles were in many different languages.

The name "QRpedia" is a mix of two words. "QR" comes from "QR (Quick Response) code." "Pedia" comes from "Wikipedia." The code for QRpedia is free for anyone to use. It is shared under the MIT License.

Where QRpedia is Used

QRpedia was created in the United Kingdom. But it can be used anywhere you have a phone signal. It is used in many places, including:

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  Derby Museum's label for the painting "A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery" features a QRpedia code. This code links to its Wikipedia article.

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  A label at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis uses QRpedia. It sends visitors to the Wikipedia article about the "Broad Ripple Park Carousel".

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  A ceramic plaque with a QRpedia code for Shire Hall, Monmouth. This is part of the MonmouthpediA project.

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  An enamel sign with a QRpedia code. It is for the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Prague.

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  A QRpedia plaque at Skopje Zoo. It gives information on a hamadryas baboon.

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  A plaque on its holder in the village of Galičnik, North Macedonia.

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  A scanning process in Skopje.

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  A QRpedia plaque in Satyagraha House, Johannesburg, South Africa.

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  A QRpedia code before the East window of St Paul's Church, Birmingham.

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  A Mauritanian arch in Odesa, Ukraine, 2014.

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  A QRpedia code at the Bristol Hotel, Odesa in 2014.

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  A QRpedia code at the Odesa Art Museum (formerly Potocki Palace) in Odesa.

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  Information on the bamboo plant in San Sebastian's Ulia park.

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  The Forgotten Museum Display about the Selangor Museum collection at World Museum, Liverpool.

QRpedia is also used outside of museums. For example, the Occupy movement has used it on their posters.

An Award for QRpedia

In January 2012, QRpedia won an award. It was named one of the most innovative mobile companies in the UK for 2011. This was part of the Smart UK Project. QRpedia was chosen from 79 projects. It then competed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The judges looked for projects that were effective and easy to understand. They also wanted projects with global potential.

Ownership of QRpedia

There was a discussion about who owned QRpedia. This led to a review of how Wikimedia UK (WMUK) was managed in 2012. The review found that it took too long to decide on ownership. This could make people outside the organization think there was a problem.

In 2013, WMUK announced that QRpedia would be transferred to them. Roger Bamkin and Terence Eden agreed to transfer ownership. The intellectual property rights for QRpedia are now held by Cultural Outreach Limited. This company is a part of WMUK. This transfer helps protect WMUK.

See also

In Spanish: QRpedia para niños