Asterisk and Obelisk Passive Tag, All You Need To Know about It.

Asterisk and Obelisk Passive Tag, All You Need To Know about It.

Asterisk and Obelisk are passive tags you scan by easily tracing them with your finger. Passive tags on the other hand are unpowered data storage methods designed to be machine-readable. However, the most successful implementation of the passive tagging, by far in our present day, is the Barcode. Moreso, other passive tagging systems present in out time include QR codes and NFC (Near Field Communication) chips. The two just mentioned both work well, but require specific hardware such as a camera for the QR code and a reader for the NFC chips. So as we have it the Asterisk and Obelisk are new passive tagging methods that can be easily integrated into modern smartwatches and smart rings without additional extra hardware.

Futhermore, even the least expensive smartwathes and fitness trackers readily available in the market today all have a built-in IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). That IMU is how they are able to track your steps as the case may be.  Also integrating a camera, along with the requisite processing power, to scan QR codes would add a non-trivial amount to the build cost. NFC readers on the other hand, are not expensive, would add to that cost as well. The Asterisk and Obelisk passive tags, developed by researchers from the University of Toronto and University of Waterloo, would not add any cost to standard wearable because they utilize the device IMU that is already present on the device.

Video Showing How The Asterisk and Obelisk Passive Tag Works

Nevertheless, both types of tags are “read” when the user traces their finger over a pattern. The Asterisk pattern is a star shape, and the Obelisk pattern is a more free form series of connected line segments. Both can be printed on any sheet of paper or medium with normal methods. As the user tracers the pattern with his or her hand, the IMU on the device picks up the movements to decipher and decode that pattern. It can then pull up a website, place an entry on the user’s calendar, or add contact information — just like the present QR code.