Wearable devices are becoming commonplace these days, and braver technology enthusiasts are already experimenting with implantable tech. Now there’s something in-between. A company called Chaotic Moon is working on a concept for temporary tattoos that contain working electronic circuits.
The tattoos are essentially a new approach to attaching biosensors to people. Rather than strapping a bulky piece of equipment to yourself or swallowing a sensor-packed pill, you’d just have a temporary tattoo applied. The current prototype is based on an aptly named ATiny85 microcontroller, which is an 8-bit RISC-based chip designed for embedded low-power systems. It can communicate with devices and transmit data over Bluetooth LE, just like a wearable device.
The controller is affixed to the skin and networked with other components with the aid of an electroconductive paint — this forms the outline of the tattoo. These drawn-on circuits can connect batteries, LEDs, and sensors. Right now, the focus is on fitness and health tracking. You might be able to track your steps or monitor heart rate with a discreet (or prominent, if you like) tattoo on your skin. It might also be an effective way for the military to monitor the health and location of soldiers on the battlefield.
It might be possible in the future to include more storage, sensors, or wireless technologies. Imagine being able to pay at an NFC terminal by waving your tech tattoo over the reader. It would be an interesting alternative to paying with your phone using services like Apple Pay and Android Pay. For now, this is just a prototype that Chaotic Moon is fooling around with, but it might be a good alternative to adding technology under our skin.
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