‘Electronic tattoo’ collects physiological data for medical and commercial applications

Dubbed the ‘electronic tattoo’, the technology consists of a carbon electrode, an adhesive surface that attaches to the skin, and a nanotechnology-based conductive polymer coating that improves the electrode's performance. In use, the device is said to record a strong, steady signal for a number of hours without irritating the skin.

The electrode, developed by Prof Yael Hanein, head of TAU's Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, could improve the therapeutic restoration of damaged nerves and tissue, and has the potential to provide new insights into peoples’ emotional life by monitoring facial expressions through electric signals received from facial muscles.

"The ability to identify and map people's emotions has many potential uses," Prof Hanein said in a statement. "Advertisers, pollsters, media professionals, and others — all want to test people's reactions to various products and situations. Today, with no accurate scientific tools available, they rely mostly on inevitably subjective questionnaires.