DuoSkin: Digital Skin has Arrived
A game-changer for wearable tech?
At first glance, DuoSkin looks like the sci-fi future of aesthetics we’ve all been waiting for. Developed by MIT Media Lab and Microsoft Research, DuoSkin is an on-skin interface applied through a temporary tattoo, which can act as an input touchpad, display outputs (e.g. thermochromic displays) and be used for wireless communication. More importantly, DuoSkin can do this cheaply. Other actors in the space, such as iSkin, have made strong attempts at visiually customisable on-skin input sensors, however they continue to use expensive expert-grade materials and as such the technology has generally remained consigned to the medical field. DuoSkin uses goldleaf, a thin sheet golden metal, which is skin-friendly, attractive, durable and purchasable at any craft store. Along with the other materials, including the vinyl film for the circuitry and the tattoo paper, the total cost of creating a 3x4 cm2 of DuoSkin is less than $2.50. Inexpensive and rapidly customisable, DuoSkin has big dreams, aiming for the technology to integrate so seamlessly with society ‘to the extent that it seemingly disappears’. Since its announcement, DuoSkin has received rave coverage from journalists, bloggers and other techies, all blown away by the simple beauty of the product. But should we really be remaining skeptical?
Countless books and films, both utopian and dystopian, depict an age where the space between the physical and digital realms are fully bridged. This fascination with enhancing our bodies through technology is not new, and as such neither is the wearables industry. From fitness-monitoring wristbands to virtual reality eyewear and an almost endless stream of smart watches, billions have been spent worldwide on developing technology aimed at becoming an extension of our bodies. Even smart tattoos themselves have been done before. A recent Forbes articles lists a patch that monitors sun UV exposure, a temporary tattoo that unlocks your phone, and a prototype that measures the lactate levels of your sweat, a chemical which indicates fitness and physical performance, as three recent on-skin technologies already in the market. So what’s new about DuoSkin?
The answer: not much. DuoSkin is aesthetic and highly customisable. It is cheap, accessible and has definite fashion appeal (I myself wore metallic tattoos this summer at festivals, as did all of my friends). However it is likely to end up in the same abandoned bucket as the Google Glass and the Apple Watch- a bucket for technology that while undoubtably advanced and creative, remains unclear to the consumer what problem it solves. Society has been slow to adopt wearables fully, and consumption remains limited to a select few. As a result, we should view DuoSkin not as the end product in itself, but rather as a beautiful golden gateway to what could become. DuoSkin excites me because of the progress it represents. Am I ever going to use it? Probably not. Am I happy that I can? You betcha.
