It’s not often that tattoos are thought of as being as functional as they are decorative, but a group of researchers at UT-Austin are about to change that.
They are developing “e-tattoos” which can be applied to the skin to measure a variety of different things, from electrical to biochemical signals, said Nanshu Lu, an aerospace engineering and engineering mechanic associate professor and one of the primary researchers in this project.
“For our graphene e-tattoo, we have demonstrated that it can measure electrophysiological signals, skin temperature and skin hydration,” Lu said.
It’s the first ultrathin, optically transparent and stretchable sensor made of 2-D material, added Shideh Kabiri Ameri, an electrical engineering postdoctoral associate and a major contributor to the project.