Every day the breakthroughs being made in the fields of science and technology (which encompasses essentially everything in life), seem more like things that they would only have in the “future” or science-fiction. Our lives have become dependent on technology, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. When technology allows us to learn and share our experiences and creations, to better work towards our goals, and to have little moments of happiness, we can grow.
Naturally the normalization of technology leads to demands that our phones be able to do everything. We invented the tablet to carry around a computer. The things that are part of our everyday lives already are going to be become more and more intertwined with technology. Which is why we have made our watches, glasses, and even mirrors into little devices. And now, smart tattoos are going to become an option. Tattoos are seen as art, but the truth throughout history is that they’ve been used for healing, spirituality, affiliation, and more.
There are a huge variety of types and uses of various “enhanced tattoos.” Some of these are available today and could be done tomorrow, some are doable but impractical as of yet, and some are theoretical in human applications or future developments. Another thing is that some are permanent, semi-permanent, and temporary.
LED Tattoos
One possible tattoo of the future is LED tattoos. LED tattoos will be temporary but present just like a regular normal tattoo. Instead of ink, these will consist of technology inserted under the skin. It essentially houses and powers small sensors that can be used to measure pretty much anything. You could use it as a FitBit, for counting steps, keeping track of blood pressure and heart rate, or it could be used in medical applications to check blood sugar, and essentially any vitals. The wearable temporary tattoo idea isn’t limited to just LED however, and can also be used to measure larynx vibrations to directly record words into text.
Smart Skin
Another type of researched tattoo technology involves the RFID chip. The RFID chip is a technology that essentially allows you to perform a quick action, mainly on your smartphone but potentially as a tattoo option. This would be the cheapest way to have a smart tattoo. Get a small design with a blank middle for removal, and insert the RFID in the middle of the design. (This should not be done without proper medical advice beforehand). One could, for example, have a switch that when pressed against your phone before driving turns the ringer on, Wi-fi off, Bluetooth on, and turns GPS on. But when hit again when entering a building, turn off mobile data, GPS, and Bluetooth off, and the ringer to vibrate.
This has been done successfully already, and with proper technique, can be removed safely. An advantage to RFID chips is that you can change what they are used for whenever you want. You could hit your home entertainment system and have the lights turn on and music begin playing. This is a very basic form of smart skin, and would of course have no visible outside marks. A similar concept could be achieved using QR codes to launch a link to a moving version of your tattoo, or combined with RFID to provide the most information possible.
For more information on present and future tattoos, contact Tattoo Emporium located in San Marcos, TX.
