In her Supercon 2024 talk, Katherine Connell discussed her development of light-emitting diode (LED) body art using flexible circuits and cutting-edge batteries to avoid skin irritation.
After initial experiments with latex and 3D printing for LEDs, she progressed to flexible PCBs and transparent silicone films, although these were labour-intensive.
She created flexible batteries with a thickness of 0.7 mm, using a compound similar to AA batteries and sealed with printing on plastic.
These batteries are safe for skin contact and can provide 3V and 20 mAh, but are single-use.
Connell eventually created her LEDs using commercial flex PCBs from JLCPCB, Zinergy batteries, custom die-cut stickers, and hypoallergenic tape to avoid irritation.
The resulting product is less than 1.5mm thick, coming in under the thickness of a US dime.
