Ultra-thin e-skin could lead to advances in medicine, cool wearable computing (video)

http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/26/e-skin-tokyo-university/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

Remember the names Martin Kaltenbrunner and Takao Someya — that way, you’ll have someone to blame when kids start pointing and laughing at gadgets we consider high-tech today. Leading a team of University of Tokyo researchers, they have recently developed a flexible, skin-like material that can detect pressure while also being virtually indestructible. Think of the possibilities: with a thickness of one nanometer, this could be used to create a second skin that can monitor your vital signs or medical implants that you can barely feel, if at all. Also, temperature sensors could be added to make life-like skin for prosthetics… or even robots! Like other similar studies, however, the researchers have a long journey ahead before we see this super-thin material in medicine. Since it could lead to bendy gadgets and wearable electronics first, don’t be surprised if your children call iPhones “so 2013″ in the not-too-distant future.

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Via: iO9, ABC Science, New Scientist

Source: Nature

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