Scientists develop electronic tattoo-like 'skin' that lets you remotely control appliances

These days, the unreal technology that we see in Si-Fi movies which is basically the work of a creative artist is actually becoming a reality. While we are moving towards a futuristic digital society, scientists have been working behind the scenes to bring in new innovations that basically will enhance human life. Having said that, a team of physicists has now developed an ultrathin electronic tattoo-like skin that can help control virtual and physical objects with mere hand gestures.

The extremely thin, almost invisible foil sticks to the palm of the hand like a second skin and it is fitted sensors which provide people with a "sixth sense" for magnetic fields. According to researchers, these sensors will enable people to manipulate everyday objects or control appliances both in the physical world and in augmented or virtual reality with mere gestures, similar to how we use a smartphone now.

Besides, researchers have demonstrated that the ultrathin, compliant magnetic field sensors in combination with a permanent magnet are able to sense and process body motion in a room.

"Our electronic skin traces the movement of a hand, for example, by changing its position with respect to the external magnetic field of a permanent magnet," said Canon Bermudez of Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) in Germany.

"This not only means that we can digitize its rotations and translate them to the virtual world but also even influence objects there," said Bermudez, lead author of the study

As part of the demonstration and using this technique, the researchers were able to control a virtual light bulb on a computer screen without physically touching any controls. The setup included a permanent magnet in a ring-shaped plastic structure emulating a dial. Then, the researchers associated the angle between the wearable sensor and the magnetic source with a control parameter which modulated the intensity of the light bulb.

"By coding the angles between 0 and 180 degrees so that they corresponded to a typical hand movement when adjusting a lamp, we created a dimmer - and controlled it just with a hand movement over the permanent magnet," said Denys Makarov from HZDR

The researchers were also able to use a virtual dial in the same way. The approach provides a unique alternative for interfacing the physical and the virtual world that goes far beyond what is possible with current technologies.

"To manipulate virtual objects, current systems essentially capture a moving body by optical means," Makarov said.

This requires a load of cameras and accelerometers as well as fast image data processing. Because they are so bulky, the standard gloves and glasses hamper the experience of virtual reality," he added.

"As our polymer foils are not even three micrometers thick, you can easily wear them on your body. Just by way of comparison: a normal human hair is roughly 50 micrometers thick," said Martin Kaltenbrunner, from Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) in Austria.

The sensors can also withstand bending, folding and stretching without losing their functionality. They are suitable for the incorporation of soft, shape-able materials like textiles to manufacturing wearable electronics. No direct line of sight between the object and the sensors is necessary, researchers said.

This new invention could possibly open up potential applications in the security industry, as well the researchers believe. Buttons or control panels in rooms which cannot be entered in hazardous situations, for example, could be operated by remote control via the sensors.

In any case, it's quite amazing to see these new technologies being developed and from how technology is advancing the future of humankind seems rather interesting.

Inputs from PTI