Conductive Bodypaint

As our lifes are increasingly regulated by electronics and there is a drive towards the miniaturization and portability of electronics on and around the body it seems only logical to place electronic circuits on the surface of body.

How about a conductive ink that is applied directly onto the skin to bridge the gap between electronics and the body. The material allows users to create custom electronics and interact with technology through intuitive gesture. It also allows information to be sent on the surface of the skin from person to person or person to object.

The formulation is carbon based and water-soluble: skin-safe and non-invasive. It may be applied in a number of ways including brushing on, stamping or spraying and has future potential for use with conventional printing processes on the body. Potential application areas may be: dance performances, music, fashion, security, military, audio/visual communication and medical devices.

The conductive bodypaint was developed by Becky Pilditch, Matt Johnson, Isabel Lizardi and Bibi Nelson, from the Industrial Design Engineering department at the Royal Collage of Art. Seen at the Flirting with the Future conference.