stretchable electronics

October 24, 2007 9:36 AM

Electronic, animated tattoos [scroll down to video, which is nsfw]. The latest body jewelry, Skintile Electronic Sensing Jewelry.

Electronic Sensing Jewelry has been conceived alongside a European project, STELLA, developing stretchable, flexible electronic substrates that integrate energy supply, sensors, actuators, and display. Development of stretchable electronics for large area applications for use in healthcare, wellness and functional clothes, integrated electronics in stretchable parts and products.

Skintile the Electronic Sensing Jewelry further explores emotional and physiological sensing. It is a new genre of product; a generation of wireless, stick-on body sensors that re-define traditional body adornment.

posted by nickyskye (47 comments total)

WANT except for all the stuff about sex (which I also WANT, but not illustrated realtime).
posted by DU at 9:44 AM on October 24, 2007

Meh--gimme old skool physiological sensing.
posted by MrMoonPie at 9:46 AM on October 24, 2007

As discussed on Shannon Larratt's BodyTwo and Marisa DiMattia's Needled last week.
posted by weatherworn at 9:53 AM on October 24, 2007

This was on ectomo a few days back, and the weird, crackling noise it makes gives me the heebie jeebies. Cool concept, but if it actually makes that noise, no thank you! ::shivers::
posted by the_royal_we at 9:55 AM on October 24, 2007

Also: clothing that "predicts the emotional state" of the wearer. Now that could surely help avoid a fight or two.
posted by itchylick at 9:57 AM on October 24, 2007

Note to marketing department: Good work on the sexiness. Who doesn't love pale anorexics standing still inside a refrigerator? Raises for everyone.
posted by DU at 9:59 AM on October 24, 2007 [5 favorites]

Buffering...7%...
posted by billypilgrim at 9:59 AM on October 24, 2007

For obvious reasons I feel I have to comment on this one, so here goes. The video in the first link just puzzled the crap out of me, but then the Gizmodo link both explained the Philips site better, and also took the piss out of it in a major way, which I think was helpful.

Nice post again, nickyskye.
posted by Sk4n at 10:01 AM on October 24, 2007

I too wondered why they had the sound of ships moored at dock as the sound effect. If my skin crackled like a sailboat, I think I might be a tad worried.

On the one hand: Wow, no more do I have to check my partner for an erection, I can just check the state of his tats...so...that's a timesaver, I guess.

Mood body jewelry, unlike the comments on the gidmozo, I want one for when I *AM* PMSing. The life it saves could be your own...
posted by Peecabu at 10:02 AM on October 24, 2007

huh, a positive comment from DU. Miracles do happen. :)

And yeah, the_royal_we, that noise reminds me of the chirrup The Predator does.
posted by nickyskye at 10:05 AM on October 24, 2007

I don't know, if I wore something that spelled out "Crazy-Assed Bitch. Leave now if you wish to survive." when I was PMSin' it might result in more, um, survivors. That's good, right?
posted by louche mustachio at 10:11 AM on October 24, 2007

Screw Predator. I was waiting for the Alien to jump out of his spine.

Awfully pretty, but also oddly creepy. Creepty?
posted by maudlin at 10:20 AM on October 24, 2007

Philips Design Probes is a dedicated ‘far-future’ research initiative to track trends and developments that may ultimately evolve into mainstream issues that have a significant impact on business.

So... a lot of futurist wanking?
posted by supercres at 10:21 AM on October 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

Got it in non-wmv? I'm not allowed to install FlipForMac here.
posted by klangklangston at 10:22 AM on October 24, 2007

And I don't know what you guys are talking about... I like the crackling. Sign me up.
posted by supercres at 10:22 AM on October 24, 2007

Screw tattoos, I want something that makes me look like a sloth.
posted by roue at 10:28 AM on October 24, 2007

NO NO NO NO NO
posted by The White Hat at 10:28 AM on October 24, 2007

Might've been sexier if the couple hadn't given the impression they were listlessly comforting each other after their last, most unloved child finally succumbed to the famine/alien virus they'd all be subject to.
posted by tula at 10:28 AM on October 24, 2007 [4 favorites]

Being a human cuttlefish would be awesome.
posted by JeremiahBritt at 10:31 AM on October 24, 2007

Sure the concept is sexy. The reality will be tattoos implanted at birth with your World Government ID Number, your credit balance and a list of all the intellectual property you are allowed to access.
posted by doctor_negative at 10:32 AM on October 24, 2007

nickyskye: thank you! you hit the nail on the head, and I had just not figured out what that sound reminded me of. Cheers! And again, yeesh!
posted by the_royal_we at 10:33 AM on October 24, 2007

I was wondering if the sound was added in post. Seems weird to have electronics just crackle and whatnot.

Anyway, I really like the concept, wonder if it can do multiple colors for the same surface. That'd be cool, have a hologram on your skin.
posted by Talanvor at 10:38 AM on October 24, 2007

Cool concept, but if it actually makes that noise, no thank you!

Nope, that's the soundtrack by Scanner. Ugh.
posted by mkb at 10:39 AM on October 24, 2007

weatherworn's YouTube link to the electronic tattoo video.

Stella's stretchable electronics seems like an interesting innovation.
posted by nickyskye at 10:39 AM on October 24, 2007

I could sell ad space!
posted by NationalKato at 10:39 AM on October 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

I can't get the video to load, but I wanted to say that in my opinion 'the future' will have arrived when I can have a watch tattooed onto my wrist: the ink will move around/change colour to display the current time, and not before. I don't care what mood you're in, knowing the time is actually useful!
posted by jacalata at 10:41 AM on October 24, 2007

I'm with supercres. I'd like that sound effect.

Also, just think, you could work for a completely conservative/restrictive corporation making the mad money and still have your individualistic body modifications. You'd just have to make sure to turn them off during the work day. How cool would that be?

I want my whole epidermis to be able to do this. Imaging being able to chameleon-like change your skin to whatever color you want in whatever pattern you want. Make it environmentally light responsive and you have the ability to blend into anywhere. You could pull off the Predator in your bedroom. I would totally be sneaking up on my partner all the time. Of course, she likes that kind of thing, the weirdo...
posted by daq at 10:45 AM on October 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

Now, having watched the video, I think it looked kind of cool. I wonder if the ink was growing in predefined patterns, or if it was simply following some basic rules and creating the patterns randomly. Perhaps the first step towards that is ink that simply changes colour, without moving - maybe a tattoo that became visible when warm?
posted by jacalata at 10:48 AM on October 24, 2007

Being a human cuttlefish would be awesome.

You'd think so, wouldn't you? *sigh* The truth is, it's overrated. You are constantly on the look out for hungry dolphins, you blend into the background and are constantly at risk from being hit by automotive traffic, and god forbid you get cut, you bleed green.

And that freaks some folks out, I can tell you right now.
posted by quin at 11:02 AM on October 24, 2007 [3 favorites]

I look forward to watching other peoples' foreheads advertise pump-and-dump stock schemes because they can't afford to pay any more protection money to the Russian mafiosos that hacked their e-tattoos.
posted by ardgedee at 11:20 AM on October 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

This reminds me of a short story I read a long, long time ago in Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine. It was about flower gems you could have implanted under your skin that you stroked in order to "feed" them... but some people were allergic and their entire bodies became covered in a weed-like substance.

I wonder if anyone's had an allergic reaction to these?

Oh, and OMG NEAT!
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 11:22 AM on October 24, 2007

With eyespots, I can frighten predators.
posted by klangklangston at 11:39 AM on October 24, 2007

I'm just waiting for people to have annoying, glittery tattoos because they want to be *just* like their MySpace.
posted by Verdandi at 11:56 AM on October 24, 2007

Fake.
posted by tkchrist at 12:22 PM on October 24, 2007

Unicorn on the cob (great name), re the allergy factor, "The Philips blurb describes it as a "semi disposable, bio compatible, non-allergenic, breathable, mass customizable, self contained body-worn accessory."
posted by nickyskye at 12:48 PM on October 24, 2007

It looks very pretty, but you guys do realize that it's a design project and not any technology that actually exists, right? Shannon's got it tagged on BodyTwo with "Video" and "Hoax."

My snarkasm detector is a little off today.
posted by weatherworn at 1:11 PM on October 24, 2007

Nice. Thanks nickyskye and weatherworn.
posted by homunculus at 1:14 PM on October 24, 2007

On the Stella site it says:

Innovations from the STELLA project include:

* New stretchable substrates with stretchable conductor patterns
* Assembly technology on stretchable substrates, based on lead-free reflow soldering
* Integration methods for electronics in stretchable products

The new technology will be proven through a number of demonstrators for the end-users in the project. The STELLA project's duration is from 01.February 2006 till 31. January 2010. Eleven partners from industry and research located in 4 European countries cover the knowledge required for development and exploitation.

I think Philips is working on the Skintile the Electronic Sensing Jewelry along with Stella.
posted by nickyskye at 1:19 PM on October 24, 2007

I wrote a short piece of fiction once and I had the main character have a subdermal watch on his right wrist.

Practical, I know. Why I didn't think of expressing it to this degree of (potential) beauty, I don't know. Probably because it was a terrible semi-dystopia piece. But...oh, I want.
posted by cobaltnine at 1:46 PM on October 24, 2007

okay, that was a ridiculously pretentious video with a laughable attempt at being erotic.

and it was STILL awesome. holy crap these look cool! i don't get it though, is it like a stick on tattoo that is more permanent and changes? cos they made it look like it was under the skin in the video.

also, do pale, skinny Europeans with totally blank expressions on their faces do it for anyone? oh.. wait.. never mind.
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 2:20 PM on October 24, 2007

also:

i, for one, welcome our semi disposable, bio-compatible, non-allergenic, breathable, mass customizable, self contained body-worn accessory wearing anorexic European overlords.
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 2:26 PM on October 24, 2007

I'm sure there's 'electronic tattoo' type things in some cyberpunk book... one character having a subcutaneous watch on their wrist. Which I though was cool at the time...

Of course in the real future I look at my phone if I want to know the time.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:39 PM on October 24, 2007

The reality will be tattoos implanted at birth with your World Government ID Number, your credit balance and a list of all the intellectual property you are allowed to access.

Careful, you're going to get paulsc all excited.
posted by flaterik at 2:40 PM on October 24, 2007

um, i believe that sound is the sound of human skin being stretched into a lampshade...

oh yeah, and this is the straw that finally broke the camels badly tattood back...white people with 'tribal' tattoos are now just too stupid to even acknowledge, let alone talk to. seriously, how OVER is that trend?
posted by sexyrobot at 2:55 PM on October 24, 2007

These are alien tribes we are talking about here.
posted by hellphish at 3:14 PM on October 24, 2007

So that's what happened to Scanner.

Pretty appropriate, I guess.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 5:38 PM on October 24, 2007

I'm not big on "body mods," although involuntarily, I have major body mods myself, in the form of surgically removed parts, and artificial joints. I'd be spooked if I came across something like this, on a new partner, and while I'd try to be accepting of the person's innate rights to do this, it wouldn't seem as a human as the already biologically supplied sex flush, erect nipples, or the ever alluring and intriguing dainty blush...
posted by paulsc at 3:29 AM on October 25, 2007