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12. Skin Electronics

Research

Well as someone don't know much about skin electronic i dig depeer to have more understanding about it so this is it.

Skin electronics, also known as epidermal electronics or electronic skin (e-skin), are flexible and stretchable electronic systems designed to conform to the human body. Unlike rigid electronics, they integrate naturally with the skin, allowing comfortable and continuous interaction between technology and the body.

  • DEFINITION

Skin electronics are ultra-thin electronic devices that can be mounted directly on the skin or integrated into soft substrates such as textiles. They are capable of sensing, processing, and transmitting data while mechanically behaving like human skin.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

•   Flexible and stretchable
•   Ultra-thin and lightweight
•   Biocompatible for skin contact
•   Comfortable for long-term wear

CORE COMPONENTS

•   Substrate: Flexible base material (silicone, polyurethane, or textiles)
•   Conductive materials: Conductive inks, thin metals, or conductive threads
•   Sensors: Temperature, pressure, strain, and bio-signal sensors
•   Power & communication: Micro-batteries or wireless systems (Bluetooth/NFC)

HOW IT WORKS

1.  The system is attached to the skin or textile surface
2.  Sensors collect physical or biological data
3.  Data is converted into electrical signals
4.  Information is processed or transmitted wirelessly

APPLICATIONS

•   Healthcare monitoring
•   Wearable technology
•   Human–computer interaction
•   Smart textiles and computational couture
  • Relevance to Fabricademy

Skin electronics combine electronics, materials, textiles, and computational design. They enable experimentation with soft circuits, 3D printing on fabric, and responsive garments, aligning closely with Fabricademy’s focus on wearable and soft fabrication systems.

  • Conclusion

Skin electronics enable seamless integration of electronics with the human body by prioritizing flexibility and material compatibility. They open new possibilities in healthcare, fashion, and interactive textile design.

  • Keywords

Skin electronics, epidermal electronics, electronic skin, flexible electronics, smart textiles, wearable technology, computational couture

REFERENCES

1.  Rogers, J. A., Someya, T., & Huang, Y. (2010). Materials and mechanics for stretchable electronics. Science.
2.  Kim, D.-H., et al. (2011). Epidermal electronics. Science.
3.  Someya, T., Bao, Z., & Malliaras, G. (2016). The rise of plastic bioelectronics. Nature.
4.  Stoppa, M., & Chiolerio, A. (2014). Wearable electronics and smart textiles. Sensors.
5.  Fabricademy Program. Soft fabrication and wearable technologies. Fab Lab Network.

References & Inspiration

  • Two images side-by-side

describe what you see in this image describe what you see in this image

Tools

Process and workflow

My sketches are ...

Code Example

Use the three backticks to separate code.

// the setup function runs once when you press reset or power the board
void setup() {
  // initialize digital pin LED_BUILTIN as an output.
  pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT);
}

// the loop function runs over and over again forever
void loop() {
  digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH);   // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
  delay(1000);                       // wait for a second
  digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW);    // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
  delay(1000);                       // wait for a second
}

Results

Video

From Vimeo

Sound Waves from George Gally (Radarboy) on Vimeo.

From Youtube

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Fabrication files

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