Microsoft working on barcode-like ID tags

The list of materials you can 3D print grows everyday. As the technology improves, researchers are working toward printing ever-more complex objects that have abilities beyond a normal hunk of plastic. Now, Microsoft has revealed a technique for creating coded “tags” within 3D printed objects. The tags can be scanned from the outside to identify the object or gather other encoded information. In a Microsoft Research release, principal researcher Andy Wilson revealed the tags, known as InfraStructs, are printed as disruptions within the object. These could be holes or extra material. Like a barcode, different shapes communicate different information.