The biobattery tattoo that can create power through perspiration. Credit: Joseph Wang
Power through perspiration. That is the idea behind the new temporary tattoo that can store and generate electrical energy from your own sweat.
This new method was announced at the American Chemical Society meeting by Dr. Wenzhao Jia of the University of California, San Diego.
According to Jia’s explanation of the device in the journal Angewante Chemie, the temporary tattoo essentially acts as a sensor that measures the body’s lactate levels, which are the chemicals naturally present in sweat. From there, an enzyme in the sensor strips electrons from, which generates an electrical current. The current is then stored in a battery that is also built into the sensor.