Smart skin - Electronics that stick and stretch like a temporary tattoo

Smart skin: Electronics that stick and stretch like a temporary tattoo 

Electronic Stick-On Tattoos Track Body Functions
This ultrathin, self-adhesive electronic ‘tattoo’ could monitor heart rates, brain waves and muscle activity using little to no power, and it’s so unobtrusive the wearer will hardly notice it.





Engineers have developed a device platform that combines electronic components for sensing, medical diagnostics, communications and human-machine interfaces, all on an ultrathin skin-like patch that mounts directly onto the skin with the ease, flexibility and comfort of a temporary tattoo.


Led by researcher John A. Rogers, the Lee J. Flory-Founder professor of engineering at the University of Illinois, the researchers described their novel skin-mounted electronics in the Aug. 12 issue of the journal Science.


The circuit bends, wrinkles, and stretches with the mechanical properties of skin. The researchers demonstrated their concept through a diverse array of electronic components mounted on a thin, rubbery substrate, including sensors, LEDs, transistors, radio frequency capacitors, wireless antennas, and conductive coils and solar cells for power.