Skin-Based Display Screens From Nanotech Tattoos 200
destinyland writes "Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York is developing flexible nanotubes
inserted under the skin to create a handheld display — inside your hand. They wirelessly receive data and display reminders and text messages, and the concept has also been broadened to suggest endlessly programmable digital tattoos, while Netherlands-based Royal Philips Electronics is also exploring the concept of
the body as 'a platform for electronics and interactive skin technologies'." That middle link is quite old, but is still loaded with interesting links.
Camouflage (Score:5, Interesting)
Implant this under all exposed skin and a solider could have camouflage patterns turned on/off and changed for the terrain.
Re:Ray Bradbury will be delighted (Score:3, Interesting)
Incidently the audio on one of those pages was creeping me out. I'm sitting here listening to Neil Young and suddenly I get these creepy sound effects over the top. I had to hunt around through workspaces and tabs to find the source.
Should we... (Score:3, Interesting)
Without reading the article, should we assume this kind of technology can be used to help college student cheat on tests?
Re:Ray Bradbury will be delighted (Score:3, Interesting)
OCtattoos ! (Score:5, Interesting)
This reminds my of the futuristic OCtattoos (Organic Circuitry tattoos) that Peter Hamilton makes use of in his Commonwealth Saga [wikipedia.org] stories.
They're described in the Wiki as:
Would be really neat to have this in our lifetime.
K. W. Jeter predicted this years ago... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:OCtattoos ! (Score:3, Interesting)
Immunse systems do not like foreign objects. (Score:3, Interesting)
This cant be healthy.
So how do I sign up? (Score:5, Interesting)
I can be a very willing guinea pig, lab rat, et cetera. Just tell me where to sign!
Yes, the prospect of long-term, irreparable skin damage is nothing next to the coolness of having the dermatological equivalent of animated GIFs. And I mean that sincerely.
Re:Immunse systems do not like foreign objects. (Score:5, Interesting)
There are many biologically neutral materials that are safely implanted into the body all the time. Titanium pins for repairing bones. Pacemakers. Composite plates for skull injuries. These are just medical examples. You get into the "body modification" crowd and you start seeing stainless steel, neobium, and nylon implants and piercings.
I suspect that rejection or attack by white blood cells are not an insurmountable issue here, but I'm not a doctor.
Police Documentation (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Allright!! (Score:3, Interesting)
The possibilities for hacking other people's tattoos are frightening. You can hardly go around keeping a continuous watch on them, especially on your back. Imagine going to work at school labelled "Crack $5/bag".
This reminds me of a book: The Diamond Age
In it, a character describes how some people get their eyes cyber-ized so they can have HUDs and such for information, aiming etc.
However one guy he knew had his HUD hacked so that it would always show him catfood commercials, even when his eyes were closed while he tried to sleep, and he couldn't get anyone to remove the code. It eventually drove him to suicide.
This is the reason why the character used older-model goggles.
Re:lasertag (Score:3, Interesting)
Not in the book....it was 21.
I'd highly recommend the book..is a short read, but, quite a lot better than the movie. The way the 'gun' works in the book is so cool, and worth the read alone. Hehehe...you never want a 'homer' fired at you....