A Hacker News project resurrects paper tape technology for audio playback using modern computer vision and QR codes. The system, dubbed QRTape, encodes audio files into a series of QR codes printed on continuous paper strips. 12kbps Opus audio compression enables high-quality playback from these physical media, a significant leap from the noisy magnetic tapes of the past.

The creator, aarossig, details a minimalist hardware setup using cardboard, an Arduino, and a webcam to read the codes, demonstrating that 157 QR codes can store a 4-minute 21-second audio clip. This approach offers a novel, low-cost archival medium, though practical challenges like tape handling and error correction remain.