12. SKIN ELECTRONICS¶

.. in progress

Introduction: What Are Skin Electronics?¶

Skin electronics are ultra–body-close, flexible electronic systems designed to be worn directly on the skin—as patches, tattoos, masks, nail designs, or thin textile surfaces. They integrate technology with the body itself & respond to physical signals such as touch, breathing, movement, or biometric changes.

Unlike traditional wearables embedded in clothing, skin electronics exist on the skin, creating an immediate & intimate interface between body & technology. These projects combine elements of e-textiles, soft robotics, biofeedback, performance art, & microcontroller programming.

Learning Objectives of the Assignment¶

This assignment introduces the fundamentals of designing & fabricating skin electronics:

Research Skills: Explore references, artistic works, & scientific publications related to skin interfaces & integrate them conceptually.
Design Skills: Develop your own body-close electronic design, including schematics, sensor/actuator selection, & microcontroller programming.
Fabrication Skills: Build a functional skin circuit & integrate inputs (e.g., sensors) & outputs (e.g., LEDs, motors) into a wearable system.
Process Skills: Document the entire development process—from initial sketches to testing, troubleshooting, & the final prototype.
Final Outcome: Produce a working, battery-powered skin electronic artefact worn on the body & demonstrated in a short video.
Originality: Create a personal & thoughtful design that goes beyond replication & explores new or unconventional ideas.

NFCs¶

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                 WHAT IS NFC?                 │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ NFC (Near Field Communication) enables       │
│ wireless data exchange over very short       │
│ distances (1–4 cm). It works through         │
│ electromagnetic induction between two        │
│ antennas:                                    │
│                                              │
│ • A reader (phone, tablet, microcontroller)  │
│ • A passive NFC tag (sticker)                │
│                                              │
│ The tag is powered by the reader’s magnetic  │
│ field—no battery required.                   │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         WHAT AN NFC STICKER CONTAINS         │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Printed antenna (spiral-shaped)            │
│ • Small memory microchip                     │
│ • Thin, flexible adhesive layer              │
│                                              │
│ These tags are extremely thin and suitable   │
│ for embedding into flexible electronics.     │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│               HOW NFC WORKS                  │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Reader antenna  ───▶  Creates magnetic field│
│                                              │
│  NFC tag antenna ─▶  Harvests energy +       │
│                       exchanges data         │
│                                              │
│ Communication happens only at very close     │
│ range, making it secure and energy-efficient.│
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

INSPIRATION¶

ANI LIU¶

Ani Liu is a transdisciplinary artist working at the intersection of art, science, & technology.

Her practice explores how bodies, identities, & forms of care are shaped by technological & social forces. With a background in architecture, design, & research, she combines methods from biotechnology, engineering, & visual art to question how we sense, interact, & exist in the world.

Through installations, objects, & speculative experiments, Liu investigates themes such as gender, reproduction, intimacy, & embodied experience—often using biological material, sensor-based interfaces, & critical storytelling.

ani-liu.com instagram: ani.liu.studio

Mind Controlled Spermatozoa – Ani Liu ¶

Mind Controlled Spermatozoa is an artwork in which Ani Liu uses a brain–computer interface to influence the movement of human sperm cells via electrical fields. By linking EEG signals with galvanotaxis, the project turns mental focus into a direct form of biological control.

Conceptually, the work critically reflects on issues of gender, power, & reproductive politics, transforming scientific procedures into a provocative feminist statement.

The Empathy Machine - Ani Liu ¶

The Empathy Machine: Towards a Networked Sensorium – short summary

The Empathy Machine is an experimental project by Ani Liu that explores how technology can connect the sensory experiences of 2 people. Using camera‐based headsets, participants are able to see through each other’s eyes, temporarily exchanging visual perception.

By linking bodies, senses & technological interfaces, the work challenges ideas of individuality & invites a reflection on empathy, shared experience & the possibility of a “networked” or collective sensorium.

small inconveniences + woman pains - Ani Liu¶

Both works use wearable devices to simulate physical experiences related to pregnancy & childbirth, such as incontinence or labor pain. Ani Liu explores how these bodily realities are culturally hidden, minimized, or romanticized, inviting others to literally feel what is usually invisible.

DUOSKIN - MIT ¶

DuoSkin is an MIT Media Lab project that turns temporary metallic tattoos into functional on-skin interfaces, such as touch controls, displays, or NFC tags. The project shows how the skin itself can become an interactive surface, combining wearable technology with body art.

INSPIRATION: Interactive Museum + Game¶

PHAENO Wolfsburg - Mindgame¶

Mindgame – Move a ball only with your thoughts Mindgame is an interactive exhibit at phaeno Wolfsburg Germany, where visitors can move a small ball using only their mental concentration. Instead of physical contact, the system uses simple brainwave sensors that detect levels of focus, relaxation, or attention. These signals are translated into motion, so the ball begins to move whenever your mind is calm & concentrated enough.

The installation seams like to offers a playful introduction to neurotechnology & biofeedback: it makes the invisible activity of the brain visible & tangible. By experimenting, visitors experience how their own mental state can directly influence a physical object—turning abstract science into an intuitive & engaging experience.

www.phaeno.de

MINDFLEX¶

Mindflex is a commercial “mind control” toy in which a ball seems to move using only your thoughts. In practice, the headset measures very basic electrical activity related to relaxation & concentration, which is used to adjust a small airflow that lifts the ball. The game is fun & surprising, but it oversimplifies brain-computer interaction & can give the impression of real thought-reading, although the underlying technology is quite limited.

Mindflex - Gedankenspiel Spiegle online: Hirnforschung - Aberglaube im Kinderzimmer mindball

12. SKIN ELECTRONICS¶

Introduction: What Are Skin Electronics?¶

Learning Objectives of the Assignment¶

NFCs¶