Skinny Circuits

Rubbed on like a temporary tattoo these ultra-thin electronics bend and stretch with the skin. Their development paves the way for sensors that monitor heart and brain activity to take the place of bulky equipment and taped-on electrodes. Electronic components shrunk to the size of tiny bumps on the skin are connected with serpentine wires that meander like rivers, straightening rather than snapping when stretched. The whole thing is mounted on a rubbery sheet that mimics the elastic properties of skin. Known as epidermal electronics, the technology can even control computer games from voice commands. Worn on the gamer’s throat, the patches detect the electrical charges associated with the muscle movements of speech. The potential applications of linking electronics and biology in this way seem boundless.

Written by Mick Warwicker

Mick Warwicker

Writer

A freelance communications consultant and writer, Mick specialises in science and education. A science graduate and award-winning print and broadcast journalist, he was Head of Communications at Newcastle University from 2000–2011.

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• John Rogers
• Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
• Courtesy of John Rogers
• Published in Science