Hi-Tech Tattoos Could Replace Personal Passwords

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Motorola has announced it is looking at alternatives to traditional passwords in the form of tattoos, in a bid to make logging into online sites, or accessing mobile phones, more secure. The tattoos, developed by Massachusetts-based engineering firm MC10, contain flexible electronic circuits that are attached to the wearer’s skin using a rubber stamp.

Motorola’s Senior Vice President of Advanced Research, Regina Dugan, showed off an electronic tattoo at the D11 conference in California. They are made from silicon and contain electronic circuits that bend and move with the wearer’s body.

The tattoos, called Biostamps, were designed for medical purposes to track a patient’s health, but Motorola thinks the technology can be used for authentication purposes, as an alternative to traditional passwords.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

The Biostamp can be stuck to the body using a rubber stamp, and protected using spray-on bandages. The circuit can be worn for two weeks and Motorola believes this makes it perfect for authentication purposes.

The Biostamps were originally designed to help medical teams montitor patients, either remotely or without the need for large expensive machinery. Motorola claims that the circuits, which also contain antennae and built-in sensors, could be adapted to work with mobile phones and tablets.

The following video shows how the MC10 circuits can help monitor a baby’s temperature.