This is an intriguing technology that could become part of the mark of the beast. Of course we don't know that electronic tattoos will play a part in the mark if the beast, We know that it will be a mark on the hand or the forehead and will be suitable to identify those who worship the beast. If it is not these electronic tattoos, then what else could it be? A couple of years ago very few people had seen or even imagined this technology. It makes you wonder what other technology is out there in laboratories around the world that is just waiting to be launched onto the world stage.
Computerworld - Google is in the process of selling parts of Motorola to China's Lenovo, but not all of it. It's not selling Motorola's visionary research group, Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP), for example.
Reports that mention Google's ATAP group typically list a few of the better-known and more colorful projects they're working on.
One of these is Project Ara, which is a modular phone concept that enables people to use 3D printers and other hacks to build just about any kind of phone they want. Google recently announced hardware-hacking conferences for the project that will begin in April. Some say the phone could go on sale as early as next year for as little as $50. Wow! Cool!
Another is a pill called a "vitamin authentication pill" that generates a password when swallowed. Uh, OK. That sounds, er, interesting.
The company is also working on electronic tattoos. Wait a minute -- electronic tattoos? That makes no sense. How can a tattoo be electronic?
Electronic tattoos sound ultra-futuristic -- something in the realm of transport beams, Martian terraforming and cheap iPhones.
Here's what everybody needs to know about electronic tattoos: They make perfect sense; they're inevitable; and they're going to be on the market very soon. In fact, it's almost certain that you'll at least try one within the next five years.
What is an electronic tattoo?
First, let me tell you what they're not: They're not tattoos. There's no ink, needles or piercing of the skin.
The reason they're called "tattoos" is that their application is similar to those in children's fake tattoos. It usually starts out on a sheet of plastic, is then applied to the skin and rubbed on from outside the plastic, then the plastic is peeled away, leaving only a very thin, rubber patch that has a layer of flexible silicon wires.
The concept behind electronic tattoos is simple. The idea is to create an electronic device, usually involving sensors, that is thinner than a sheet of paper and as flexible as a Band-Aid that can stick to the skin.
The secret sauce is flexible electronics. The core benefit is that they become part of the body in a non-invasive, painless and relatively inexpensive way.
In addition to sensors, the electronics package can contain wireless networking capability, so they can not only convey sensor data easily, but also be controlled from a remote computer or smartphone.
Why are electronic tattoos happening now?
Almost every big technology revolution is preceded by a materials revolution. For example, the computer revolution owes its trajectory to the development of semiconductor materials, including silicon, which replaced vacuum tubes and brought into existence Moore's Law, the law that states the number of transistors on integrated circuits doubles roughly every two years.
The electronic tattoo revolution is coming about because of the development of miniature and flexible electronics. In fact, development of flexible electronics has been in the works for decades. Most consumer electronics, from phones to digital cameras, contain circuits that are flexible in order to bend circuit boards for the purpose of cramming everything into a tiny space. But in recent years, it's become increasingly possible to create flexible circuits that can roll, stretch and, most importantly, flex repeatedly without failing.
What are electronic tattoos for?
Researchers envision all kinds of medical applications for electronic tattoos. For example, extremely precise thermometers that can track tiny fluctuations in body temperature and set off alarms when the level goes above or below a set threshold. Because they're so thin and flexible, a thermometer patch could be worn for months.
In a few years, it's likely that a single, inexpensive rubber patch, attached to the chest of a patient or even a newborn baby will monitor a wide range of vital signs including heart rate, nutritional status, body temperature, hydration and breathing rate.
This is where most of us will encounter electronic tattoos. Slapping an electronic tattoo on patients to monitor vital signs will probably become widespread in healthcare.
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