Light Up Your Body with These Wearable LED Tattoos!

Glowing, electronic tattoos have long been a staple of science fiction, but we’ve lacked the technology to safely make them a reality. Sure, there are UV tattoos that glow under blacklights, but those require an external light source. However, such tattoos (in temporary, stick-on form) are now possible thanks to advancements in PCB and battery technology. Kathrine Connell recently wowed us with her Sprite Lights concept and now she’s teamed up with Art by Physicist to bring her wearable LED tattoos to Kickstarter.

This campaign just launched on Kickstarter and has a modest funding goal of $2,000, but it has already raised about half of that at the time of writing. We first became aware of Connell’s Sprite Lights when she entered the project into our TechFashion Design Challenge 2023. Her project was a clear winner for the “Out of the Box” prize. The goal of the contest was to turn a maker’s prototype into a real product and bring it to market, which is exactly what is happening here with the help of Art by Physicist. We recently hosted Connell on Hackster Café, so be sure to watch that.

Sprite Lights are “light-up body art” stickers than users can wear to express themselves in a fun new way. Each Sprite Lights sticker has printed artwork brought to life with illuminated LEDs. The design available to Kickstarter backers has a stylish compass motif with a kind of nebula background, but other designs will certainly become available in the future.

This is all possible thanks to two important technologies: flexible PCBs and ultrathin, body-safe batteries. The PCBs, which host the LEDs, are thin and flexible enough to fit the contours of the human body and move with skin. Zinergy batteries are also incredibly thin and flexible. And, more importantly, they’re safe for this application. Unlike traditional batteries, there isn’t any danger of overheating caused by damage. In fact, one could cut the battery in half without risk.

The PCB and the battery form a sandwich with an adhesive backing and the printed artwork. Together, they create a flexible sticker than the user can place anywhere on their body. The battery should last at least four hours, so it is good for an entire night out. These are, however, intended to be single-use, so there isn’t any provision for recharging the battery or turning off the LEDs.

If you want to get in on the fun, the Kickstarter campaign will run until April 28th. Early bird can get a three-pack of Sprite Lights for $35, or a five-pack for $55. Those rewards should ship out in October.