morphing matter lab and soft machines lab have collaborated to create ‘electrodermis’ – a wearable electronic bandage. wearables have emerged as an increasingly promising interactive platform, imbuing the body with always-available computational capabilities. this unlocks a wide range of applications, including information access, health, fitness, and fashion. unlike previous platforms, wearable electronics require structural conformity, must be comfortable and should be soft, elastic, and aesthetically appealing. ‘electrodermis’ is a fabrication system that simplifies the creation of wearable electronics that are comfortable, elastic, and fully untethered. 

electrodermis is a fully-untethered, stretchable and customizable electronic bandage
an example application of electrodermis: environment color mirroring jewelry

all images courtesy of morphing matter

 

 

the project envisions a future where electronics can be temporarily attached to the body (like bandages or party masks), but functional and aesthetically pleasing. the bandages are designed for many different parts of the body, from the knee to the forehead, and the shape has been formed to still facilitate movement. overall, electrodermis aims to offer a complementary approach to wearable electronics – one that places value on the notion of impermanence (i.e., the opposite of tattoos and implants), while also better conforming to the dynamic nature of the human body.

electrodermis is a fully-untethered, stretchable and customizable electronic bandage
an example application of electrodermis: motion tracing knee wrap

electrodermis is a fully-untethered, stretchable and customizable electronic bandage
an example application of electrodermis: smart wound healing bandage

electrodermis is a fully-untethered, stretchable and customizable electronic bandage
Z-axis tape is applied to the electrical components and bonded to the copper traces

electrodermis is a fully-untethered, stretchable and customizable electronic bandage
Z-axis tape is applied to the electrical components and bonded to the copper traces

electrodermis is a fully-untethered, stretchable and customizable electronic bandage
multi-layer fabrication method

electrodermis is a fully-untethered, stretchable and customizable electronic bandage
integrated circuit modules: (l – r) ancillary power management, microcontroller, six digital sensors, and RGB LED

electrodermis is a fully-untethered, stretchable and customizable electronic bandage
photograph sequence at increasing levels of strain until electrical failure occurs for the stretchable bandage

electrodermis is a fully-untethered, stretchable and customizable electronic bandage

electrodermis is a holistic fabrication approach for fully untethered, stretchable, and on-skin compliant wearable electronics

 

 

project info:

 

project name: ‘electrodermis’

design: morphing matter lab and soft machines lab at carnegie mellon university

design team: eric markvicka*, guanyun wang*, yi-chin lee, gierad laput, carmel majidi, lining yao. (* contributed equally)

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: lynne myers | designboom