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Wearable Circuit Board Tattoos Could Save Lives

If you could have a tattoo that kept track of your health, would you get it? What if getting said tattoo involved no needles at all? This is the goal behind Chaotic Moon Studio‘s “Tech Tats,” peel-and-play biometric wearables that rely on conductive ink and a collection of biosensors to monitor a user’s vital signs.

A thin design means Tech Tats could be worn under clothing or military gear, allowing for real-time monitoring via Chaotic Moon’s mobile app. “That information could be sent directly to a medical professional,” explains CEO Ben Lamm. The studio is best known for creating completely useful, every-day items like fire-breathing drones, but Lamm considers the Tech Tat project one of the most exciting he’s worked on to date. The device works over Bluetooth Low Energy, the same wireless protocol that syncs the FitBit and Amazon Dash Button.

“We’re looking at this as a human circuit board and the human body as a platform that we can build on top of,” Lamm told Tech Crunch. “We’re trying to start a conversation around ‘hey you’ve already had these types of data collection components on your body.’ A lot of times they are big, they are bulky and they can be limiting. Now we’re looking at changing and evolving with these other types of conductive ink.”

Lamm also hopes the tattoos will have implications for every day life. By integrating a system akin to Apple Pay, users could gesture or finger tap to initiate payment. Instead of swiping your card, you could wave an arm (or you know, a wand. For style points. Expecto Patronum.)

Just how much a Tech Tat will cost remains to be seen, but Lamm and his team hope to keep prices accessible. Should you want to dive deeper into biohackery, check out these subcutaneous arc reactor implants.

IMAGES: Chaotic Moon Studios/Vimeo

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