A business in Tonbridge, Kent, has started offering quick release (QR) codes on gravestones so that visitors to graveyards can access a wealth of information about a deceased person’s life.
Wendy Nash of Hyphenalia, who came up with the idea, said: "The idea struck me because I have always had a fascination with headstones and eventually I thought to myself ‘is that it? Am I just going to be a name on granite?
"Most of the time that’s all we get, along with a message that doesn’t tell people much about us at all. It’s such a shame and a wasted opportunity.
"Imagine if someone in your ancestry had achieved something great, but you know nothing about it. It’s something I would want to know and be very proud of.
"I think it’s quite an original idea and if someone needs help creating a memorial, I can help them."
The QR codes on the gravestones are types of bar codes that consist of black dots on square grids, which can be read by smartphones.
They are created to be weatherproof and can be designed ahead of death, or for someone who died centuries ago.
On scanning, smartphone users are diverted to a tailor made website that commemorates a person’s life. Information provided includes family trees, pictures, music and videos.
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