A groundbreaking technology known as Imprinto has been developed by a team of researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Adobe Research. This innovative system enables the embedding of invisible digital information in printed documents using infrared ink and a special camera, creating a new era of hybrid interfaces between paper and augmented reality.
Presented at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2025) in Yokohama, Japan, Imprinto revolutionizes the way we interact with physical documents without altering their visual appearance. The technology utilizes infrared ink that is undetectable to the human eye but can be captured by a near-infrared camera, making it accessible through mobile devices with modified photographic sensors.
This cutting-edge technique opens up possibilities for product traceability, document authentication, and educational or professional content enrichment without the need for visible codes like QR codes or external devices. Imprinto is just one part of a larger ecosystem of tools being explored by UC3M and MIT researchers, leveraging the capabilities of infrared technology.
In addition to Imprinto, the researchers have also developed VeinGoOne, a portable camera that connects to mobile devices via USB-C, allowing for the observation of blood vessels under the skin for medical procedures and biometric recognition based on palm vein patterns using artificial intelligence algorithms.
Another exciting project by the UC3M team is BrightMarker, a system that embeds invisible codes in 3D objects using fluorescent polymers. This groundbreaking technology showcases the endless possibilities of integrating invisible digital information into physical objects, paving the way for a future where augmented reality seamlessly merges with the physical world.
