This temporary tattoo can monitor your vital signs
This is really cool

"Temporary tattoos aren't just for style anymore," said Aneri Pattani at The New York Times. Japanese scientists have developed a wearable sensor that can monitor patients' vital signs, and also "looks and feels like a henna tattoo." That's a big advantage over current devices made out of polyester or rubber sheets that aren't breathable enough to allow air to pass through, making the wearer sweaty and itchy.
The prototype sensor is constructed from nanoscale mesh, "a spaghetti-like entanglement of fibers a thousand times thinner than a human hair," and can be applied in the same way as a temporary tattoo. The sensor can be rubbed off in water, "so in reality, it will need to be replaced after every shower or bath," but researchers hope that problem will be solved with future research.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Book reviews: 'Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves' and 'Notes to John'
Feature The aughts' toxic pop culture and Joan Didion's most private pages
-
The FDA plans to embrace AI agencywide
In the Spotlight Rumors are swirling about a bespoke AI chatbot being developed for the FDA by OpenAI
-
Digital consent: Law targets deepfake and revenge porn
Feature The Senate has passed a new bill that will make it a crime to share explicit AI-generated images of minors and adults without consent