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  • A Health Monitoring Tattoo (Of Sorts)
Technology Articles > Software > Education > A Health Monitoring Tattoo (Of Sorts)

What if a temporary tattoo could measure your biometrics? A company called MC10 has developed a small sensor that looks just like a temporary tattoo, but keeps track of a wearer's vitals. Developed for athletes and sports physicians, the MC10 microchip aims to make tracking someone's vital signs easier.

The MC10 chip isn't currently available to consumers, but it is already drawing a large amount of criticism. Some believe that these chips will give governments an easy way to keep tabs on people. However, the MC10 definitely has athletic benefits as well.

What the MC10 Microchip Tracks

Things like temperature and hydration levels are tracked when this tattoo is worn. The idea is to prevent athletes from becoming too hot or dehydrated. The chip can also be stuck to a hospital patient's leg in order to let hospital staff know the status of a patient. In other words, this chip can be very useful in a number of ways.

Alas, people are concerned that chips of this sort simply mean human tracking. Or, another way for the government to track what people are doing on a regular basis. The thing is, though, that it is already possible to track humans via smartphone. So, biometric chip technology isn't really as much of a threat as it seems. In fact, a temporary chip tattoo like this one could be a real lifesaver.

For Doctors and Athletes

Any serious athlete knows that dehydration is a big deal. Dehydration can land a person in the hospital quickly. A chip that monitors vitals can prevent stroke, heart attack (potentially), and dehydration -- all very important. It's also worth pointing out that biometric technology that's also wearable isn't really anything new.

While MC10 is the one company closest to perfecting wearable biometric technology, other companies have been playing around with biometrics for some time now. So far, the world isn't a scarier place. The new "tattoos" developed by MC10 are the size of a Band-Aid, stick to the skin through water, chlorine (for swimmers), sweat, and most other things, and are imbedded with a small microchip.

MC10 is working on perfecting the wireless capabilities of the chips before putting these tattoos on the marketplace. So far, the technology looks promising. The company hasn't set an official release date, but I'm betting you will see these new tattoos appear within the year. There's no doubt, as well, that other companies will follow in MC10's footsteps.

You can learn more about what MC10 has been working on by visiting the company's main website. MC10 has also put out a number of press releases and other information detailing the new technology, for those who are truly curious. Is wearable biometric technology a bad thing? Not really; in fact, this type of technology can really help in the medical and sports world.

Could it be a bad thing? If the chip technology was purchased by another company seeking to track humans, then, yes, this technology could be on the dark side of things -- but now we're entering comic book territory!