Getting a Tattoo Done Remotely Thanks to 5G?
You’re not dreaming, this really happened: the Dutch actress Stijn Fransen got her arm tattooed remotely thanks to 5G. Done in real time, this technological achievement goes way beyond what we talked about back in April.
Let’s see the process behind this project mixing robotics, 3D and 5G.
T-Mobile Netherlands
We owe this very smart advertising to T-Mobile Netherlands, the largest mobile phone company in the Netherlands. As explained in the description of the video, they wanted to offer “a glimpse at the possibilities enabled by the 5G network, with the first ever remote tattoo placed successfully in real time onto human skin.”
The project required real-time tracking, precise control of a robot, 3D printing, tattooing and the power of 5G. According to Noel, the creative technologist of the “Impossible Tattoo”, the biggest challenge was to find a way to emulate the tattoo artist’s style as precisely as possible.
As you can see on the video, finding the right depth was also a real struggle. Whenever you get a tattoo, the needles need to go between two layers, the epidermis and the hypodermis. If the tattoo artist doesn’t go deep enough, the ink won’t stay onto the skin and some touch-ups will be needed. On the opposite, if it’s too deep, you might get “blowouts” which creates a distorted image (no worries, it’s not harmful for your health).
The Future of 5G
As stated in the video, if we can tattoo remotely thanks to 5G, just imagine what could be done next!
Speaking of 5G, it’s slowly coming in Belgium. At the moment, Proximus is the only company offering phone deals that include 5G, for the other ones (like Orange, VOO, Telenet), we’ll have to wait a bit longer. 5G coverage should be 70% operational by 2023.
Let’s see what the future holds because it’s just the beginning!
