As of October 2015, over 2/3 of Americans adults own a smartphone or some kind of smart device. Also, the number of Americans with tattoos have increased sharply, especially over the last five years. Why not combine the two? Introducing smart tattoo.
Students at M.I.T. Media Lab want to make smart tattoos happen. So does Microsoft Research. They combine their talents to develop a temporary tattoo. This tattoo turns into a touchpad, and you control your smartphone with it. You can even share data using NFC chip technology. The tattoo’s formal name is DuoSkin. DuoSkin will be introduced to the world at a wearable technology conference next month. You design a circuit with graphic software. Use gold leaf because it conducts electricity. Other components make the tattoo interactive. The tattoo isn’t penned on like a regular one. It’s stamped on like a temporary one, along with the NFC chip, the gold leaf, and the other components. The marked part of your skin can be used as a trackpad. It can change colors and literally open doors. Perhaps the best part of DuoSkin is it’s temporary. That means you can peel it off anytime you want. You can apply another one easily. You can’t take a penned tattoo off and on.
Personally, I think that’s the only good thing about DuoSkin. At least you have a choice. I choose not to have anything to do with it. The fact you can use your body as a touchpad or tech control mechanism is creepy. Whatever DuoSkin offers can be done through another form of technology. For example, you can use can control your smartphone with a smart pen. Plus, there’s a lot we don’t know about DuoSkin. How much will it cost? Are there side effects? Will it work with all smartphones? The researchers behind DuoSkin have a lot of explaining to do. Would you get DuoSkin?