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Wearable tech ‘tattoos’ have arrived
It was the inevitable next step. “Tattoo-style” wearable diagnostic technology looks like it will finally be hitting the consumer market in 2016. This week at CES, a medical research firm called MC10 unveiled a pair of such devices: one for academic and research environments, and the other targeting consumers.
BioStamp Research Connect is the science-centric of the two devices. The band-aid like device sticks to the user’s skin and operates much like a super fancy Fitbit. The BioStamp Research Connect was designed with researchers in mind who are actively working on neurodegenerative disorders and problems with motor skills or movement in general. The thin little wearable (pictured above) packs a gyroscope and accelerometer, and MC10 says it’s capable of monitoring electrical activity generated by skeletal muscles. It also functions as a tiny electrocardiogram.
Everyday users probably won’t have a ton of interest in the BioStamp Research Connect, which will more likely be marketed to universities, pharmaceutical companies, and medical research firms. However, MC10 has partnered with L’Oréal to craft the My UV Patch. My UV Patch seeks to give beach-goers and outdoor workers feedback about how much skin damage their time in the sun is accruing. The patch changes colors as it absorbs UV radiation over the course of the day. When the user takes a picture of the patch, an app will give them more information about how much damage is being done to their skin and offer tips to reduce it.
What are your thoughts regarding this pair of paper-thin “tattoo” wearables? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! Also, be sure to check out the rest of our CES 2016 coverage by clicking the button below.