Royal Mail launches ‘intelligent’ stamp

Royal Mail has launched an ‘intelligent’ stamp that enables iPhone users to access content about images on special stamp collections online.

The technology has been launched in conjunction with Royal Mail’s latest special stamps issue, entitled Great British Railways. Royal Mail issues special stamps to mark key events and anniversaries in UK history.

Smartphone users can access the image recognition technology by downloading a free ‘Junaio’ application from an app store for their iPhone or Android phones, then selecting the Royal Mail Channel. To activate the ‘intelligent’ stamp, users hold their handset’s camera over the stamp, and when the Junaio app recognises the stamp, the associated Royal Mail content will run automatically.

For the Great British Railways stamp, Royal Mail has created a short online film of Bernard Cribbins, voice of The Wombles, reading WH Auden’s poem, The Night Mail.

Philip Parker, Royal Mail stamps spokesperson, said: “Our stamps will open up to a whole new world of information, interest and fun to collects and the millions of people who will receive them on letters.”

Royal Mail said the technology will also be available on future special stamps.