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Toward a new generation of smart skins

Nature Biotechnology volume 37, pages 382–388 (2019)Cite this article

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Rapid advances in soft electronics, microfabrication technologies, miniaturization and electronic skins are facilitating the development of wearable sensor devices that are highly conformable and intimately associated with human skin. These devices—referred to as ‘smart skins’—offer new opportunities in the research study of human biology, in physiological tracking for fitness and wellness applications, and in the examination and treatment of medical conditions. Over the past 12 months, electronic skins have been developed that are self-healing, intrinsically stretchable, designed into an artificial afferent nerve, and even self-powered. Greater collaboration between engineers, biologists, informaticians and clinicians will be required for smart skins to realize their full potential and attain wide adoption in a diverse range of real-world settings.

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Fig. 1: Schematic structure of human skin.
Fig. 2: Recent research trends in smart skin from four viewpoints.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank H. Lee, H. Kawasaki and T. Ebihara for fruitful discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Takao Someya

  2. Thin-Film Device Laboratory & Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), RIKEN, Wako, Japan

    Takao Someya

  3. Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Masayuki Amagai

  4. Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, RIKEN, Yokohama City, Japan

    Masayuki Amagai

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  1. Takao Someya
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Correspondence to Takao Someya or Masayuki Amagai.

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Someya, T., Amagai, M. Toward a new generation of smart skins. Nat Biotechnol 37, 382–388 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-019-0079-1

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