Abstract

Smart materials, here especially sensitive dyes are common at several applications, e.g. time-/temperature indicating labels, smart packaging, and more. Smart Materials such as photochromic compounds have a light detecting behavior – e.g. light with a specific wavelength. Halochromic compounds respond to pH (acid - base) variances. They change their color after an induced stimulus from one color gradually to another color. These color gradations can be defined as specific limitation – in form of an inactive [0] to an active state [1], to indicate different environmental influences.

Based on this behavior, smart materials are able to store information about external conditions. Integrated into a smart code, besides static data (2D) also dynamic sensor data (3D) can be stored. Smart materials can be printed as sensors and they work autonomously without any power supply. A smart device e.g. smart phone, tablet, or wearable smart glasses can optically readout – by using the camera – the particular information of the code. By integration, various smart codes into a data network an autonomous information exchange can take place.

In this paper, the features for developing a smart code and first research results of a simplified prototype tool for the detection of position markers, static (information) and dynamic (smart materials) section will be shown. Additionally, the color switching behavior of a cluster of photochromic dots inside a smart code will be analyzed to detect differences between its states under exposure of UV light. The respective color values will be transformed into information about the intensity of a contamination.