electronic tattoos
As cameraphones in Japan are already equiped with barcode-scanning-algorithms, most of us spotted the first 2D barcode and ShotCode tattoos by now, each pointing to the wearer’s website. Yet, as such the tattoo performs a mere bridging function towards our parallel virtual world, giving the tattoo an extra dimension of life.
But what about a more direct way to bring the ink markings to life, to ‘electr(on)ify’ them? This is exactly one of the thought experiments pursued by the people over at Philips Design, who looked at electronic tattoos in one of their future-oriented Probes projects.
This video illustrates in a poetic way how the tattoo could respond to touch. While interesting, I suggest thinking a little further ahead. Imagine different emotions – either the emotional state of the wearer or the emotion hidden in the manner of touch of someone else – evoking different responses. Imagine a generation of intelligent tattoos, displaying information on bodily functions upon touch (heartbeat, temperature, sugar level, etc.). Our skin as our old new interface.
Possibilities are limitless, which reminds me of a short note I wrote many years back about what I used to call the notion of DynaTattoos. Looks like I ought to dig it up again.
Image courtesy of Philips Design
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