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LED Henna Tattoos Make You Look Like a Bohemian Cyborg

Using conductive ink, designer Amrita Kulkarni brings a tech-enhanced update to the art of henna.

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In a flashy update to the traditional art of temporary tattooing, Indian designer Amrita Kulkarni has fused conductive ink with her henna practice to create an LED array that applies directly to the skin. Using a line of skin-friendly paint from UK design company Bare Conductive for the project, the Royal College of Art alumna mounted LED lights powered by small 3V batteries atop the intricate patterns she's practiced since her childhood. The most important aspect of the conductive tattoos, she notes in a blog post, was figuring out how thick her designs should be, as line thickness is inversely proportional to the ink's generated resistance.

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Now that she has "explored the language of henna on the skin," she plans to adorn, "walls, lamps, floor decorations… forehead bindi, tattoos, etc." with a similar LED setup. If Kulkarni keeps at it, your new cyborg chic might very well soon match your carpet, drapes, and entire living room, without having to invest in a light-up tutu or make your own glowing chameleon suit.

Visit Amrita Kulkarni's site to find more of her artistic innovations.

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