We’ve supplemented our vestigial magneto-sensitive body parts. For quite some time, curious body-modification enthusiast have implanted small rare earth magnets into their finger pads to gain magnetoception. These early adopters report detecting electrical current, magnetic fields, and the occasional party trick. The magnetic sensor developed at IFW Dresden has some poignant differences from the implant. The implant is invasive, more expensive, risky, and the technology has more limitations. The skin-like sensor can be attached to more than just skin- industry, robots and wearable technology will benefit greatly from this technology. Technology that interact with a human wearing a magnetic strip on his finger can be developed from the ground up (Minority Report anyone?).
www.cinemablography.orgDr. Denys Makarov has created a very durable fabric. The skin-like material is super-thin and can be stretched to more than 270 percent for over 1000 cycles without fatigue. These properties will allow us to wear or attach the sensors without any hindrance. Out of the box this technology won’t allow us to navigate like a homing pigeon. These sensors won’t allow us to do that until somebody designs an app to make our finger tingle when we point north.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetoception
http://gizmodo.com/5895555/i-have-a-magnet-implant-in-my-finger
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150121/ncomms7080/full/ncomms7080.html