Electronic tattoo links human body to connected devices

Motorola has announced that its forthcoming phones could use electronic tattoos and pills to replace online and device passwords.

The two experimental prototypes were showcased at the D11 technology conference last week and have been designed as an alternative to using traditional authentication methods with increased security that links a user directly with a connected device.

The electronic tattoo – or ‘biostamp’ – is attached to the skin and features an antenna and a handful of sensors to authenticate a user’s personal device.

Originally intended for medical purposes, the tattoos have been manufactured by Massachusetts-based firm MC10, and the material used – built by a University of Illinois research team – can stretch up to 200% larger than its original size.

“It may be true that ten to twenty year-olds don’t want to wear a watch on their wrist,” Regina Dugan, Motorola’s senior vice president of advanced technology said in reference to recent rumours surrounding an Apple smart watch. “But you can be sure that they’ll be far more interested in wearing an electronic tattoo, if only to piss off their parents.”

The Google-owned company has also been experimenting with a Proteus Digital Health pill with a computer chip that is powered by a battery using the acid in a user’s stomach.

The pill – currently used for medical applications such as detecting heart rate – creates a unique signal that can be picked up by devices outside of the body, ultimately able to verify a user’s identity.

Mobile phone authentication takes an average of 2.3 seconds each time for existing users, which is ‘irritating’, says Dugan.

“In fact it’s so irritating only about half the people do it, despite the fact there is a lot of information about you on your smartphone, which makes you far more prone to identity theft.”

Motorola has claimed that though the experimental prototypes won’t be on sale any time soon, they have been tested in authenticating a phone and do work.