Tattoos have long been a form of personal expression and even rebellion, going against the norm and making a permanent alteration to the body. They are considered taboo by many in society, and change the way people who have them are viewed in society. This negative association with tattoos may be about to change, however. John Rogers from the University of Illinois is working on technology that will change not only the way people think about tattoos, but will increase health monitoring at an incredibly cheap price.
Rogers has been working on a series of wearable electronics, so thin that they could be mistaken for a tattoo, that allows for the measurement of a person’s temperature to a fraction of a degree. Scientists are finding that measuring the skin’s temperature to such a small degree can show different physical problems. The wearable technology does the same job as a machine worth a quarter of a million dollars, and it only costs pennies to produce.
The possibilities for the future of healthcare are endless with this new wearable measuring technology. The tiny changes in body temperature that the wearable technology picks up can tell much about a person’s health, and they are very accurate. With the inclusion of these sensors in normal tattoos, the nation may come to a new conclusion about tattoos, once where tattoos are the norm. It is always fascinating to see how scientist and researchers dedicate their work to changing the way people view the things around them.