Google Wants To Create Smart Tattoos That Will Turn Your Skin Into A Touchpad

The truth is we all had high hopes for the future. The Jetsons cartoon made us think that we’d all have flying cars and live-in robots as maids. Instead, we are still fighting against racism amidst a global health pandemic, and the American political landscape is in shambles. Things may be messy, and the future looks uncertain, but life always goes on. As we look ahead, Google is developing plans to usher in a new wave of innovation by creating wearable technology.

Researchers are working on a project involving rub-on skin tattoos called “SkinMarks.” The concept would allow for sensors to be embedded within the tattoo that can be activated by the same touch/swipe gestures we currently use with smartphones.  According to reports, “The tattoos are made by screen printing conductive ink onto tattoo paper.” While similar concepts have only been seen before in the movies, it seems as though we are finally heading towards a more futuristic, technology-based society.

Not everyone is excited about this sort of technological advancement. Google is now facing backlash from critics who say they are trying to” turn humans into tech-powered robots.” In spite of public criticism, the project is being semi-funded by the Google Faculty Research Awards in partnership with researchers from Saarland University in Germany. There’s no word yet on a possible release date or if the technology has even proved successful.