Skintillates: UC Berkeley Students engineer electronic temporary tattoo
Most normal temporary tattoos serve only an aesthetic purpose, but Skintallates may have engineered temporary tattoos that serve a function as well.
Skintillates is an interactive electronic temporary tattoo created by the graduate students of Eric Paulos, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at the University of California, co-director of the CITRIS Invention Lab, and BCNM faculty member. Skintillates allows people to customize and create temporary tattoos which contain wearable electronics and sensors, which are applied to regular temporary tattoo paper and then onto the skin, like a normal temporary tattoo. Skintillates can use a number of small electronics such as LED displays and even buttons that link with mobile applications so that you can play music from your skin!
With such innovative design, artistic value, and wearable technology, it comes as no surprise that Skintillates won the Maker of Merit honor in the National Maker Faire, or that the tattoo is garnering attention. You can read more about Skintillates on Tattoodo and at UC Berkeley News!
Joanne Lo, one of Skintillates Designers, had the following to say: “Unlike many of the more complex 3-D printing and design projects we hear about, Skintillates can be produced in much the same way kids create arts-and-crafts projects and cost less than a few dollars to make.”