A group of researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbrücken, Germany have produced temporary thin ‘tattoos’ called iSkins which you can stick to your skin and can connect to any smart device to control simple but essential functions like turning on music or typing on a keyboard.
The iSkin’s electrode design features resistive touch sensing, with a ‘sandwich’ of two electrodes, top and bottom, that are held apart by perforated layers of silicon. The design even has a built-in form of pressure sensitivity, though it only has two layers. Bringing your finger close to the electrode, the first degree of pressure, reduces the capacitance slightly. But actually pressing on the electrode creates a contact between both electrodes, closing the circuit. The sensor is also capable of capturing multi-touch input.
Though the sensors remain simple, the researchers have developed several different “widgets” that allow for different forms of functionality, such as a flexible keyboard that can fold out from a smartwatch or even the dearly missed “clickwheel” from the older iPods. Meanwhile, an all-purpose input device for smartphone touch screens features a three fingertip-sized touch buttons and a linear slider with five elements.
embodied.mpi-inf.mpg.de/research/iskin/
