Show HN: HTML QR Codes (Animated, Interactive, Programmable)

We just launched QRBRD, a QR code generator that creates live HTML5-based QR codes instead of traditional static images (PNG or SVG). Why might this interest you? Dynamic & Animated: Create QR codes that subtly animate or respond in real-time to data, significantly enhancing their visual appeal and user engagement. Fully Programmable: Leverage familiar web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to easily design interactive, responsive QR codes Real-time Integration: Directly integrate QR codes with APIs or live data sources. Here’s a practical demo—a QR code adapting its visuals based on real-time weather conditions: → Live Weather QR Code Demo (no signup required https://signal.codes/2lyr) I spent years in AdTech, witnessing firsthand how even subtle visual changes dramatically influence engagement and ROI. Despite QR codes being widely used to bridge physical and digital interactions, their visual design hasn't evolved significantly in 30 years. They were originally designed for machine vision in factories in Japan, not human eyes. As connected displays (digital billboards, kiosks, TVs, web ads) become commonplace, QR codes should naturally become more enticing to human eyes, also more dynamic and interactive. Technical Details : HTML5 Native: QR codes as pure HTML/SVG/Canvas—reducing CDN overhead and static image hosting costs. Pixel-Perfect Responsive Scaling: Seamlessly scales for digital signage, kiosks, connected TVs, POS systems, and mobile. Instant Dynamic Styling: Real-time CSS changes to colors, animations, or states without additional API calls. Built-in Interactivity: Easily add animations, countdown timers, geo-location triggers, and sensor-based interactions (touch, tilt). Optimized Performance: Efficiently minified and compressed to ensure fast loads and minimal CPU/GPU usage. Cost Efficiency and Creativity: Animated and Interactive QR codes have the potential to drive higher user engagement than static, offsetting initial development complexity. Generative AI and recent coding tool advancements have significantly streamlined the creation process, lowering costs and speeding up development. Try it yourself: We offer a free tier (behind an email or Google login), allowing you to experiment. If you are comfortable with CSS and JS, you should be able to get pretty far. If you like what we have built consider buying credits so you can played with Create with AI and Edit with AI workflows: → QRBRD Signup Looking Forward to Your Feedback: This project has evolved significantly from initial experimentation (inspired by generative AI QR code art), expanding into numerous fascinating directions. I'm actively refining and prioritizing improvements, especially around compatibility across Android and iOS QR code detection. Excited to hear your critiques, suggestions, and the creative integrations you'd envision for dynamic, programmable QR codes. Your insights would be incredibly valuable as we continue refining QRBRD. Thanks for checking it out! Ciarán