A tattoo could be the next step forward in wearable technology. Wearable e-skins are joining the ranks of “tribal” symbols and your ex’s name as the hottest thing to hit your skin. Where the latter two install regret, e-skins look to give users multiple uses that could one day replace the smartphone and even end up on Mars.
More than Ink
A wearable tech tattoo, E-skins, which are also known as smart skins, have very few similarities to actual tattoos. Unlike a tattoo, though, e-skins are not ink, and they are not permanent. To create an e-skin, researchers pack small sensors into the thin and flexible material. Once put together, the user can wear the e-skin for a short amount of time. E-skins currently work around a day before shutting off.
Better than a Tattoo
E-skins are currently only used to display blood oxygen levels. It’s only a matter of time before the users expand beyond medical uses. Imagine streaming Netflix on your forearm, responding to emails in your palm, or playing Angry Birds in your other palm. This new direction for wearable technology in the form of a tattoo could bring the end to the smartphone. Smartphones have shrunk through the years, and it would seem the next move would be to make the smartphone redundant.
Into the Future: Mars and Beyond
Elon Musk and SpaceX are on the verge of announcing their plans for a city on Mars. We are still years away from colonizing Mars, but advancements in wearable technology could assist astronauts in their mission to the red planet. Bulking machines could eventually be replaced by the lighter e-skins, saving SpaceX both time and money. Once on Mars, astronauts could even use e-skins to track their vitals and communicate with SpaceX, back on Earth. Beyond Mars, the implication of a wearable tech tattoo could be endless.
