You can now control your devices with a temporary tattoo, because we live in the future

It was only a matter of time until we could control technology with our bodies.

Researchers - in collaboration with Microsoft Research and Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao, a PhD student at MIT’s Media Lab - have designed temporary tattoos that allow you to control devices like sound systems and phones by stroking your skin.

How does it work?

An electrical circuit is stamped onto gold leaf to create the tattoo. The tattoo, once on the skin, takes "the form of on-skin input elements that resemble traditional user interfaces" - in other words, acts like a button, slider or trackpad - meaning you can do things like turn the volume up on your iPhone by stroking your skin.

While DuoSkin is not readily available at the moment, its creators believe it could be commercialised. Pre-packaged speakers could come with a set of tattoos that allow the music to be remotely controlled, for example.

What a time to be alive.

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