iSkin: A sensor worn on your skin, turns the human body into a sensitive touch surface for controlling mobile devices.
iSkin: A sensor worn on your skin, turns the human body into a sensitive touch surface for controlling mobile devices. 
The revolutionary technology has been developed by scientists in Germany.
iSkin is made of biocompatible silicone rubber with pressure sensors that can be attached to users' skin, allowing them to use their bodies to control mobile devices.
Developed by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics and Saarland University, the experimental system has been built in various shapes and sizes to fit different parts of the body, such as the finger, forearm and even behind the ear.
The sensor is capable of detecting touch pressure, even when stretched or bent. By today's standards, scientists can answer incoming calls, play music, and adjust the volume. So far, a roll-up keyboard has also been designed for use with a smartwatch.
The prototype is based on advances made in so-called "electronic skin" that allows robots to better sense their environment, touch, pressure and temperature.
The makers of iSkin saw it as an ideal platform for body interaction with mobile computing.
The material the “skin” is made of is called polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), it is silicone-based and is an organic polymer.
“The sensor is made of biocompatible silicone with a carbon-silicone admixture. So there are carbon particles inside the silicone that make it conductive. So we can use it as an electronic device,” explains Martin Weigel from the development team.
The scientists have no immediate plans to further develop the iSkin prototype, but they hope it will inspire future research into an electronic skin that would enable human-computer interaction.
