The Temporary Tattoo That “Talks” To Gadgets

Golden and silver temporary tattoos might not be your thing this summer, but you’ll probably change your opinion when you see how MIT students turned them into on-skin interfaces #objectmagic

Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao, PhD Student at the MIT Media Lab, created DuoSkin with her colleagues and Microsoft Research. DuoSkin is a system that gives tattoos the power to connect to smartphones, computers and more devices via NFC wireless communication. By using gold leaf for conductivity, a graphic creation software, vinyl cutter and temporary tattoo printing paper, it creates quickly any circuit design you want to apply on the skin.

Your wish is DuoSkin’s command. Your tattoo can turn your arm or leg into a trackpad, a volume controller or an NFC tag. If you want to use it as a display, prepare to see color swaps based on your body temperature or light effects if you decide to add LEDs in the mix.

Since the technology is budget-friendly, the team of scientists hopes it can be tested and then offered as another service in tattoo parlors.