Can you turn this tattoo off?
- The dessert was a blast today, but let's get back to business. Do you have any other ideas? How much time do we have left?
- I thought you would never ask.
He smiles, stretching his hand over the table and tapping the top of his wrist where a watch appears.
- Wait, what’s that? Seriously? A tattoo? Never figured you for the ink type.
- Not really. It’s a conductive ink under a flexible, transparent…
The minute hand of the watch moves.
- Oh. Your tattoo just moved!
- That's what I was trying to tell you.
- Can you turn this tattoo off?
The watch disappears as he shakes his hand.
- What's the power source?
- That was my first question as well. Think of an ultra-thin transparent e-ink display slapped on a conductive e-tattoo. A nanoparticle circuit powered by your body heat. No batteries, no recharges. Slap it on and rinse it off with hot water. Five seconds, max.
- Tell me more.
- First, you apply a single-use tattoo using a band-aid-like applicator. Once it dries, you stick the screen on your skin. The silver nanoparticles in the ink create an on-skin circuit, turning body temperature into just enough energy to power the screen. Putting it on takes five seconds, and you can wash the ink off with hot water and soap. Crazy, right?
- That sounds like a lot of work.
He smiles confidently.
- Wait until you hear about charging a smartwatch or applying makeup.
- Point taken. But come on, a flexible, transparent, e-ink display powered by conductive e-tattoo? That’s far too much for an average human person to process.
- Forget the tech. It’s a platform play. Your body powers it, and all your devices sync like an integration layer in disguise.
- How so?
- Think of what would be possible if your body could power an invisible screen you wear on your skin that works with any device you carry.
- Hey, now you sound interesting.
- The USP? It picks preselected biomarkers from sweat and measures electrodermal activity. You can monitor and track the level of anything you want: sleep, fitness, focus, stress, and even hydration. Let’s skip the regulatory nightmare now, but it also screens tens of widespread conditions. Regulatory is a minefield, but this could redefine personal health monitoring once cleared.
- Now we’re talking!
- Combine that data with other sensors, such as heart rate, motion, or light, to get a real-time read on emotional response.
- So, what’s it actually like to wear something like this?
- I’m experimenting with the time expander this week.
- …
- It’s not what you think. Do you watch movies or sports or play games?
- Far less often than I would like to.
- You can sync this with the content provider so the movie, match or game can adjust to your real-time emotional response.
- Funnier comedies and thriller thrillers?
- Exactly.
- It sounds intriguing, but tie it back for me. What does it have to do with time?
- Have you heard about the study proving that there is no such thing as procrastination?
- Yes, there is only the inability to focus. People don’t procrastinate if they clearly understand and believe in the value of what they need to do and why.
- Time expander combines data from the apps you use to run your life with a biofeedback mechanism that teaches you how to control your vitals to make more time. More time when you are focused and pay attention to what you do. Staying involved in everything you do is exhausting at first, but in the long run, it makes you remember more of every day, and the more you remember, the fuller your life feels.
- It’s not about making time. It’s about stretching the perception of time.
He takes a sip of cold green tea and continues.
- Exactly. Our experience and what we remember later… about, well, experiencing that experience creates two distinct ways we think about time. When those two misalign, you feel that time flies uncontrollably, and many people experience this time-warp sensation known as the “holiday paradox”.
- Who would have thought that a tattoo could help with the perception of time? I never understood the idea of putting unchangeable things on your body. I can’t choose that one thing that all my future versions of me will like.
- My parents never agreed to let me have a tattoo, and by the time I turned eighteen, all my friends had already been tatted, so I decided to stand out by not having a single one.
- Like a reverse status symbol.
- Do you think tattoos are status symbols?
- The moving ones, for sure, will be.
- You know, back when I started, all the guys going for lunch lined up their cell phones. The more important they were, the more phones they would put on a table. At some point, the biggest power move was to have no phone. It proved that you are so important you can afford not to take your phone to lunch.
- All the male jewellery is slowly disappearing. First, we lost signets, later cufflinks, and now a watch and glasses are the last pieces of male jewellery that are noncontroversial and universally acceptable.
- And yet, in the past, all of them were success markers. Do you think that success markers are disappearing?
- They stop being so important if AI assistants in everyone’s glasses or phone can immediately recognise you for your achievements.
- It’s still a long way for me, hopefully lined up with a few more bonuses.
- Speaking of bonuses, I still have mixed feelings on this. Do you have anything else?
- Not for today.
- Hmm. When we last invested in skingestibles, it was way too early, and the testing was a nightmare. I remember the whole user experience was either inflammation or indigestion.
- I admit, that was an unfortunate bet. Skin is the human body's largest organ, so the market opportunity mesmerised even the most rational players. But this is different. No pills, no patches, just a little bit of ink, and a new type of device powered by your body’s heat. And they already secured partnerships with all the leading certified suppliers.
- So, is this going to be on the market anytime soon?
He points at his wrist.
- Yes, the product is ready.
- What’s the timeline?
- Inventory and production scaling, so twelve months to launch, tops, unless one of the Big Nine snaps them up first.
- Aggressive. I like that. Can you remind me what makes it biocompatible?
- Nanoparticles? Silver, zinc oxide, graphene oxide, carbon, and a few dozen more, which I would need to double-check.
- Ok, and do you remember who are the leading suppliers?
- Let me pull the list. You want to buy into their supply chain, don’t you? It will be challenging, but I can get you some entry points with enough enthusiastic partners.
- Great. Give me a target list, and I will drum up interest in this. We’re on the clock. Let’s make sure we can get a piece of the pie.
- I like pie. Consider it done.
Hello Practical Futurists,
Welcome back from the future, where your body can power a screen you wear on your skin, and people care more about what you can do for them than what you wear.
If you enjoyed this story, hit the heart-shaped “Like” button at the top or bottom of this page. It’s great feedback and helps others find it.Let's dive into our weekly workout, where we use futures thinking and product sci-fi to build a future-proof mindset. Start with this quote for extra inspiration:
"The future has a way of arriving unannounced.”
George F. Will
As always, we begin by connecting the story to your personal life, making it more relatable.
Personal life reflection prompts
Would continuous self-monitoring of your emotions and health metrics rather help or overwhelm you?
What 2 status symbols are you most receptive to?
Do you feel more optimistic or pessimistic about the idea of your body powering a device? What do you think could make you change your mind?
In what 3 ways would wearing a device that adjusts content based on your emotional response change your entertainment experiences?
If you had access to continuous, discreet biofeedback, what 2 aspects of your life would you want to monitor most?
How would the ability to track your emotional responses in real time affect your relationships and self-awareness?
Good job!
We're now ready to shift our focus to the context of the industry, organisation, team, service, or product you're working with.
Professional life reflection prompts
In what 2 ways could wearable screen technology transform communication and productivity in your industry?
What potential ethical considerations should leaders think of when implementing body-powered devices in the workplace?
Which 3 aspects of your decision-making could real-time biofeedback improve?
How might the time expander be applied to improve focus and efficiency in your team's daily tasks?
What are the 2 strategies you would use to de-risk complex supply chain, multi-vendor project or cross-border collaboration when working against an unmovable deadline?
How would you measure a new product's optimal market entry timing to avoid being overshadowed by larger competitors?
Name 3 integration challenges businesses face when introducing products or services that must work seamlessly across multiple platforms. What risk management strategies would you use to mitigate each of them?
If you could lead a team working on a high-risk, high-reward early-stage idea with unproven market acceptance, who would be the three people you would call first?
That’s everything we have for today. You did amazing!
Thank you for expanding your imagination with us. Leaders with bold ideas move our world forward.
Think bright, lead brighter, and see you soon.
Pawel Halicki
Summer wrap-up: August
I hope you had a fantastic summer. If you missed any of our stories while recharging on holiday, you can find a handy summary of all the stories published in August below:
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very inventive. I was waiting for something awful to happen... but then that will be for another story i suppose. it sounds like very feasible tech.