LED Tattoos: Imagine Your Skin a Screen

LED Tattoo's could be the next big thing in the world of body art. I for one have many tattoo's and I could see myself with one of these tattoo's in the future.

This new technology was made possible from the people of the University of Pennsylvania. Researchers there are developing silicon-and-silk implantable devices which sit under the skin like a tattoo. Already implanted into mice, these tattoos could carry LEDs, turning your skin into a screen.

The silk substrate onto which the chips are mounted eventually dissolves away inside the body, leaving just the electronics behind. The silicon chips are around the length of a small grain of rice — about 1 millimeter, and just 250 nanometers thick. The sheet of silk will keep them in place, molding to the shape of the skin when saline solution is added.

There are many different uses for this chip that can be very beneficals in their use. Their could be some great medical uses for this chip like using it for neurodevices that tie into the body’s nervous system. Currently chips are already being used today in your pets to identify them and their owners. But the flexible nature of these “tattooed” circuits means they can move elastically with the body, sitting in places that a rigid circuit board couldn’t. I am sure that they will find many uses for these chips in the future. In the article that I reference they talk about how Phillips is looking to use it for more sexual uses (Use your imagination for this one).

Check out this video that shows what it could look like. Leave a comment on what you think this technology could be used for other than tattoo's.


Reference: Wired.com