Working from home: 3D printed wearable tattoos

Japanese researchers claim to have used a household inkjet printer to create ultra thin stick-on elastomeric sheets that act as electronic devices yet feel like a tattoo.

How thin? And why?

According to the team at Waseda University the material is 750 nm, 120 times thinner than human hair, making it ultra-thin and flexible.

As the drive for both comfort for the wearer and ease of manufacture become increasingly important, the size of these products and the process required to create them, is hugely exciting.

The researchers behind this development say that this development could help change the face of wearable electronics with objects such as wristwatches being no bigger than a sticking plaster!

How did the Waseda team manage this new process?

They came up with a method of joining electronic components without soldering, allowing thinner and more flexible elastomer films.

Inkjet printing was then used to create conductive wiring.

Don’t you need special conditions to do this?

The team says that this can be carried out with a normal inkjet printer with no need for cleanroom conditions.

Ok, so what happens?

Conductive chips and LEDs are connected by sandwiching adhesive between two elastomeric nanosheets. This means there’s no need for chemical bonding by soldering or special conductive adhesives.

Using a low-temperature processes, the Waseda team adds that the resulting ultrathin structures achieve better adhesion, without using substances such as tape or glue, better elasticity and comfort for skin-contact applications. The new system worked for several days on an artificial skin model.

How exactly will this technology be used?

Waseda University believes that uses for these products are expected to include human-machine interfaces and sensors in the form of electronic tattoos, improved tools for medicine, healthcare and sports training