Slashdot Mirror


Skin-Based Display Screens From Nanotech Tattoos

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.

58 of 200 comments (clear)

  1. Allright!! by SalaSSin · · Score: 4, Funny

    Finally a way to change my tattoo every time i feel like it, and get rid of my gf's complaints that she doesn't want me to have more tattoos.

    --
    Any sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice - Grey's Law
    1. Re:Allright!! by Starayo · · Score: 2, Funny

      It's typical, really. I just [i]got[/i] my first tattoo, and then they tell me about this.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    2. Re:Allright!! by AlecC · · Score: 5, Funny

      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".

      --
      Consciousness is an illusion caused by an excess of self consciousness.
    3. Re:Allright!! by xouumalperxe · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I guess it helps that you can just blindly reject everything in the original post that resembles html, and then only generate the html you explicitly allow from the BBCode. That way you're preventing some funky attacks. Of course, implementations might or might not produce further errors...

    4. Re:Allright!! by bugnuts · · Score: 4, Funny

      And then you make sure the tattoo display device renders the sanitized html correctly. (for all those n00bs who thought this went off-topic)

    5. Re:Allright!! by cayenne8 · · Score: 3, Funny
      I wonder if these palm electronic 'tatoos', could be federally mandated to look like a 'crystal', and change color every 7 years of your life. At 21, it could blink when you are on lastday, before you have to turn yourself in for sleep.

      Hmm....shoot, I'll be we could transform the DEA into a group called sandmen, you know, just in case you decided to 'run' and not turn yourself in for sleep.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    6. Re:Allright!! by supernova_hq · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well, [ & ] can be hit with a single key, whereas < & > require the shit key to be hit as well.

      The one thing I hate about typing (especially when programming), is how many times I have to hit that god damn shit key. My left little finger starts to hurt a lot when I've been programming for a while.

    7. Re:Allright!! by maxwell+demon · · Score: 3, Funny

      Well, [ & ] can be hit with a single key, whereas require the shit key to be hit as well.

      Well, my keyboard doesn't have a shit key. I understand that you wouldn't want to touch that quite often. Maybe you should get one with a shift key instead. :-)

      BTW, I never understood what problems people have with pressing shift. I don't have any problems with it (not even when writing German, where there are a lot of upper case letters). OTOH, on German keyboards, the [ and ] characters are some of the hardest characters to type: You have to press, at the same time, the AltGr key (on US keyboards there's the right Alt key at that position) and the keys 8 resp. 9.

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    8. Re:Allright!! by kannibal_klown · · Score: 2, 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.

    9. Re:Allright!! by arcsimm · · Score: 2

      You were reminded of the Diamond Age, and didn't even stop to think about the Drummers? shifting programmable nanotattoos were one of their defining features

      Well, that and massive orgies leading to spontaneous combustion in the name of data analysis.

    10. Re:Allright!! by Miseph · · Score: 2

      Seriously? It's just an anus, I can understand being shocked by it, but some people talk about goatse like it killed their puppy. You shouldn't have to "unsee' anything, just get over it.

      --
      Try not to take me more seriously than I take myself.
  2. Ohhh... can you imagine the hack possibilities by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you thought fun with programmable road signs was something, wait 'til tatoo hacks become the new fad!

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:Ohhh... can you imagine the hack possibilities by El_Muerte_TDS · · Score: 3, Funny

      Oh the possibilities

      - Wash me
      - Kick me
      - Buy cheap v1agr4
      - ...
      - Profit!

    2. Re:Ohhh... can you imagine the hack possibilities by __NR_kill · · Score: 2, Funny

      This could actually bring a whole new meaning to STD.

  3. Ray Bradbury will be delighted by kubitus · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The Illustrated Man coming alive!

    1. Re:Ray Bradbury will be delighted by MichaelSmith · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Camouflage for the skin. Couple it with a camera to get an idea of background textures.

      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.

    2. Re:Ray Bradbury will be delighted by dominique_cimafranca · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And here I was thinking Rorschach. :-D

  4. Camouflage by sakdoctor · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Implant this under all exposed skin and a solider could have camouflage patterns turned on/off and changed for the terrain.

    1. Re:Camouflage by blargfellow · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Or the enemy sends you a virus, and you end up with a bullseye on your forehead.

    2. Re:Camouflage by bentcd · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What's the point in that? He'd either have to carry both desert and urban camo (for middle-east incursions at least), and swap half way through, or they'd have to be butt-naked all the time.

      If they can put this in skin they can probably put it in clothes too.

      --
      sigs are hazardous to your health
    3. Re:Camouflage by CFBMoo1 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Implant this under all exposed skin and a solider could have camouflage patterns turned on/off and changed for the terrain.

      I can only imagine the stories...

      "So there I was in the women's shower room..."

      --
      ~~ Behold the flying cow with a rail gun! ~~
    4. Re:Camouflage by Tom · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Because in war it's such a bright idea to have much skin exposed?

      Sorry, some camouflage make-up applied to the parts of the face you can't hide seems like a lot simpler, cheaper, more reliable and simply superior in all other aspects.

      --
      Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
  5. This nice sounds nice by Norsefire · · Score: 4, Funny

    but most Geeks don't have a high pain threshold.

    1. Re:This nice sounds nice by Starayo · · Score: 2, Funny

      Speak for yourself, I like chilli and cats and just got a tattoo without moving at all. :P

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    2. Re:This nice sounds nice by fractoid · · Score: 2, Funny

      So true about cats. Some of them just don't get the concept of "kneading your lap is hurties".

      --
      Rampant carbon sequestration destroyed the Dinosaurs' tropical paradise. I'm here to help repair the damage.
    3. Re:This nice sounds nice by supernova_hq · · Score: 4, Funny

      Dude... If you fall asleep on my couch, the cat will extend her paw 2 1/2 feet in the air (over the arm rest), sink her claws into the back of your skull, and then pull them back out again.

      Scares the living shit out of you the first few times!

    4. Re:This nice sounds nice by Merls+the+Sneaky · · Score: 5, Funny

      Are you joking? A tattoo hurts a lot less than regular high school beatings or unrequited love.

  6. well........ by tatermonkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    Its only a matter of time before someone figures out how to get porn on it.

    1. Re:well........ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      What would be the use of that if it's on the inside of your palm?

    2. Re:well........ by thannine · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well, I don't know about you but I usually use only one hand...

  7. Should we... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Without reading the article, should we assume this kind of technology can be used to help college student cheat on tests?

  8. A Cautionary Note by hyades1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    If programmable digital tattoos catch on, it might be a good idea if the data feed in your "handheld display" was used to ensure that the name in your tattoo matches the name of the person you're with.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  9. OCtattoos ! by Macka · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This reminds my of the futuristic OCtattoos (Organic Circuitry tattoos) that Peter Hamilton makes use of in his Commonwealth Saga stories.

    They're described in the Wiki as:

    OCTattoos (Organic Circuitry Tattoos) are also a major technological device. These are tattooed on the skin and resemble colourful, often metallic tattoos, and serve hundreds of purposes from transferring credits to serving as sensors. Their main function is to act as processors for other implants (which may function at reduced capacity if an OCTattoo is damaged).

    Would be really neat to have this in our lifetime.

    1. Re:OCtattoos ! by newcastlejon · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Just give me a shout when I can have a watch like Wu's.

      --
      If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.
    2. Re:OCtattoos ! by zrq · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Would be really neat to have this in our lifetime.

      Therin lies a problem ... the human lifetime as compared to the rate IT technology is changing. Whatever you got implanted today would be out of date within a year. You either have to continually upgrade (which would probably involve more surgery, because the latest implants would not be backwards compatible with yours), or you get stuck with the equivalent of a 800x600 display tattooed into your arm when everyone else has 1920x1200 HD and surround sound. In the age of iPhone and Android, nothing says 'old fart' like having a clunky old phone that doesn't have a camera or net access, but at least you can upgrade to a new model without involving surgery.

  10. Hands-on by Mr.+Moose · · Score: 3, Funny

    Where can I get some hands-on experience with this technology?

  11. K. W. Jeter predicted this years ago... by Altesse · · Score: 2, Interesting
  12. I've been wanting this for a... by Eric+Smith · · Score: 4, Funny

    wristwatch without the watch, for a long time now.

    1. Re:I've been wanting this for a... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Um, like a bracelet?

  13. Immunse systems do not like foreign objects. by Jackie_Chan_Fan · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This cant be healthy.

    1. Re:Immunse systems do not like foreign objects. by samurphy21 · · 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.

    2. Re:Immunse systems do not like foreign objects. by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2, Funny

      I suspect that rejection or attack by white blood cells are not an insurmountable issue here, but I'm not a doctor.

      I suspect that rejection or attack by your mother would be the issue here.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  14. So how do I sign up? by guyminuslife · · Score: 4, 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.

    --
    I don't believe in time. It's a grand conspiracy designed to sell watches.
  15. Good luck at the airport by KlaymenDK · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Good luck with that the next time you're at the security check at the airport. Pacemakers they know about, but with people getting withheld due to t-shirts with *images* of electronics, this thing is just asking for trouble.

    1. Re:Good luck at the airport by feitingen · · Score: 2, Funny

      Good luck with that the next time you're at the security check at the airport. Pacemakers they know about, but with people getting withheld due to t-shirts with *images* of electronics, this thing is just asking for trouble.

      I was at the airport with one of those t-shirts with a working clock on it. I boarded with no problems, but as they were to take off, (i am not making this up) they announced: "Please turn off all mobile phones, laptops and t-shirts"

      --
      This sig is intentionally left blank.
  16. I'll wait... by Capt+James+McCarthy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It all sounds cool...for a movie or a fad. The next thing you know you have to keep your virus defs up to date or your tatoo will be throwing up all kinds of unwanted pop-ups. If it can be 'reprogrammed,' that is just a freq that manipulates the nano devices, then it can be maliciously altered as well. I still don't understand the fascination with putting electronics in the body (medical reasons notwithstanding). And there is already an issue with people being tracked and watched. They tie the screen to your vitals and it will glow green if you are telling the truth or red if you are lying. It will tell folks your current medical status. _IF_ that is what you want.

    --
    There are no loopholes. It's either legal or it's not.
    1. Re:I'll wait... by Aladrin · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "I still don't understand the fascination with putting electronics in the body (medical reasons notwithstanding). And there is already an issue with people being tracked and watched."

      Not everyone is as paranoid about the government spying on them as you. Don't get me wrong, your paranoia helps the rest of us by keeping the government straight... But we don't also need to be paranoid for that to work.

      --
      "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
    2. Re:I'll wait... by Aqualung812 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Why not? I've noticed I've seen fewer ads for things that I won't EVER buy for myself (Tampons, etc), and more for things I will buy (cycling gear, xbox games).
      Can you let me know what the problem is?

      --
      Grammer Nazis - I mod you "troll" unless you actually add something on-topic. Yes, I know I have mispellings in my sig.
  17. If this becomes mainstream... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...then somebody is going to try to put DRM on it. I'd love to see that court case...

  18. I think I read about this somewhere before... by galactic-ac · · Score: 2, Informative

    I think I read about this somewhere before... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diamond_Age

  19. Obligatory by IceCreamGuy · · Score: 2, Funny

    "I can't wait until the tattoos on Amy's butt hear about this!"

  20. Police Documentation by KneelBeforeZod · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Hypothetically, if this were to become common. It'd force police to rethink how they document and identify distinguishing marks on the body. Or a gang member being some kind of double agent and switching inks from one gang to another. Its the stuff of scifi. Makes me think of The Illustrated Man of Ray Bradbury.

  21. Voice command? by Millennium · · Score: 4, Funny

    If they could figure out a voice-command interface to this, "Talk to the hand" could get a whole new meaning.

  22. Re:Just think.... by ZeroExistenZ · · Score: 2, Funny

    of the possibilities the porn industry could come up with.

    So, you're going to project a naked body on a naked body?

    Or are you going to render certain acts on certain patches of skin to simulate the experience? But it would be only possible by brutally handled and have a sheet of this material inserted on that patch of skin. As I suspect, that part of the sheet should be flexible as well if you would want to try to simulate a certain experience..

    What lenghts teen nerds go to simulate a certain experience. Invest that effort in spacetravel of some sort and stop watching pornography and thinking of ways to come closer to the "real experience virtually". :)

    Although, nerd hornyness has brought alot of innovation. We should breed farms of horny nerds, and put "challenges" in front of their porn-consumption, like a certain cypher for access or a certain patternrecognition to be hacked. Worldhunger would be solved overnight and we would have instant singularity.

    --
    I think we can keep recursing like this until someone returns 1
  23. Ni-Go-Zeero-Ichi by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 4, Funny

    One step closer to Ghost in the Shell's brain hacking becoming an everyday reality!

  24. Re:lasertag by flink · · Score: 2, Informative

    The age was 21 in the novel, it was raised to 30 for the film to broaden its appeal or to make the portrayals by older actors more believable. I've heard both explanations.

  25. Re:HHG2G did it! by DrgnDancer · · Score: 3, Informative

    The author later called it "The Increasingly Misnamed Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy"

    --
    I don't need a million points of light, just two points of multi-mode fiber and a 10 Gig-E router.
  26. Re:lasertag by cayenne8 · · Score: 2, Interesting
    "as someone who went to MANY many birthday parties for 30 year olds at lazertag centers- it was 30 for renewal, not 21"

    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....

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........