Xin Liu’s research while affiliated with Cambridge and other places

Can tattoos reveal changes in human physiology? The Dermal Abyss (d-abyss) presents an approach to biointerfaces in which the body surface is rendered an interactive display. Traditional tattoo inks are replaced with biosensors whose colours or intensity change in response to variations of biomarkers in the interstitial fluid. The Dermal Abyss is designed to use the aesthetics, permanence, and visible nature of tattoos to encode diagnostic information. Here, tattoo biosensors were designed to report on the concentration of sodium ions, glucose, and pH in the skin. We report the preliminary quantitative evaluation of these biosensors in an ex vivo skin model by assessing their visibility of color changes from the dermis. This work provides a proof of concept of a platform in which the skin reveals information inside the body, tattoos form wearable displays within the skin, and the body's metabolism works as an input for the d-abyss biosensors.

The Dermal Abyss (d-abyss) presents an approach to biointerfaces in which the body surface is rendered as an interactive display by patterning biosensors into the skin to produce color changes in response to biomarker variations in the interstitial fluid. It combines advances in biotechnology with traditional methods in tattoo artistry. d-abyss is designed to use the aesthetics, permanence, and visible nature of tattoos to encode information. In the present work, we replace traditional inks with colorimetric and fluorescent biosensors that can report on the concentration of sodium, glucose, and pH in the interstitial fluid of the skin. We report the preliminary evaluation of these biosensors in an ex vivo skin model, assessing their visibility from the dermis. We describe different applications of d-abyss in the medical, lifestyle, and security domains. This work is a proof of concept of a platform in which the skin reveals information inside the body, tattoos form wearable displays within the skin, and the body's metabolism works as an input for the d-abyss biosensors.

The opportunities for wearable technologies go well beyond always-available information displays or health sensing devices. The concept of the cyborg introduced by Clynes and Kline, along with works in various fields of research and the arts, offers a vision of what technology integrated with the body can offer. This paper identifies different categories of research aimed at augmenting humans. The paper specifically focuses on three areas of augmentation of the human body and its sensorimotor capabilities: physical morphology, skin display, and somatosensory extension. We discuss how such digital extensions relate to the malleable nature of our self-image. We argue that body-borne devices are no longer simply functional apparatus, but offer a direct interplay with the mind. Finally, we also showcase some of our own projects in this area and shed light on future challenges.

This paper presents Fluxa, a compact wearable device that exploits body movements, as well as the visual effects of persistence of vision (POV), to generate mid-air displays on and around the body. When the user moves his/her limb, Fluxa displays a pattern that, due to retinal afterimage, can be perceived by the surrounding people. We envision Fluxa as a wearable display to foster social interactions. It can be used to enhance existing social gestures such as hand-waving to get attention, as a communicative tool that displays the speed and distance covered by joggers, and as a self-expression device that generates images while dancing. We discuss the advantages of Fluxa: a display size that could be much larger than the device itself, a semi-transparent display that allows users and others to see though it and promotes social interaction.

This paper presents Fluxa, a compact wearable device that exploits body movements, as well as the visual effects of persistence of vision (POV), to generate mid-air displays on and around the body. When the user moves his/her limb, Fluxa displays a pattern that, due to retinal afterimage, can be perceived by the surrounding people. We envision Fluxa as a wearable display to foster social interactions. It can be used to enhance existing social gestures such as hand-waving to get attention, as a communicative tool that displays the speed and distance covered by joggers, and as a self-expression device that generates images while dancing. We discuss the advantages of Fluxa: a display size that could be much larger than the device itself, a semi-transparent display that allows users and others to see though it and promotes social interaction.

As interfaces progress beyond wearables and into intrinsic human augmentation, the human body has become an increasingly important topic in the field of HCI. Wearables already act as a new layer of functionality located on the body that leads us to rethink the convergence between technology and fashion, not just in terms of the ability to wear, but also in how devices interact with us. Already, several options for wearable technology have emerged in the form of clothing and accessories. However, by applying sensors and other computing devices directly onto the body surface, wearables could also be designed as skin interfaces. In this paper, we review the wearability factors impacting wearables as clothes and accessories in order to discuss them in the context of skin interfaces. We classify these wearability factors in terms of body aspects (location, body movements and body characteristics) and device aspects (weight, attachment methods, accessibility, interaction, aesthetics, conductors, insulation, device care, connection, communication, battery life). We discuss these factors in the context of two different example skin interfaces: a rigid board embedded into special effects makeup and skin-mounted soft materials connected to devices.

As interfaces progress beyond wearables and into intrinsic human augmentation, the human body has become an increasingly important topic in the field of HCI. Wearables already act as a new layer of functionality located on the body that leads us to rethink the convergence between technology and fashion, not just in terms of the ability to wear, but also in how devices interact with us. Already, several options for wearable technology have emerged in the form of clothing and accessories. However, by applying sensors and other computing devices directly onto the body surface, wearables could also be designed as skin interfaces. In this paper, we review the wearability factors impacting wearables as clothes and accessories in order to discuss them in the context of skin interfaces. We classify these wearability factors in terms of body aspects (location, body movements and body characteristics) and device aspects (weight, attachment methods, accessibility, interaction, aesthetics, conductors, insulation, device care, connection, communication, battery life). We discuss these factors in the context of two different example skin interfaces: A rigid board embedded into special effects makeup and skin-mounted soft materials connected to devices.