iSkin is a sensor that when put to your skin, it turns your body into a sensitive touch surface to control all your mobile devices. This revolutionary technology has been developed by scientists in Germany.
The iSkin is manufactured by biocompatible silicone rubber with pressure sensors that can stick to the user’s skin, so it practically counts as a wearable. It was developed in the Max Planck institute for Informatics and the Saarland University.
This experimental system has been nuilt in various shaped and sized in order to fit in many parts of the human body, suach as the finger, the forearm or even behind the ear. The sensor is capable of sensing any pressure applied, even when it is streched or bended. With today’s progress scientists can answer incoming calls, play music and change the volume. So far a roll-up keyboard has also been designed to be used with a smartwatch.
The prototype is based on progresses that have been done concerning the “electric skin” that allows robots to feel better their environment, and senses such as touch, pressure and temperature. The creators of the iSkin consider their product an ideal interaction platform between the body and mobile computing.
The material that was used for this “skin” is called polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) an easy-to-process silicone-based organic polymer that is fully transparent and used in implants.
The stickers allow us to enlarge the input space accessible to the user as they can be attached practically anywhere on the body,’ said Martin Weigel, a PhD student in the team led by Jürgen Steimle at the Cluster of Excellence at Saarland University.
Currently, the sensor stickers are connected via a cable to a computer, but in the future in-built microchips will allow the stickers to function wirelessly, according to Steimle.
Until the final stage of developement there still a lot that need to be done but we do hope to see the iSkin available on the markets in the next couple of years. Until then stay tuned to find out what’s new!
