Chicago exhibit shows off a tattoo that controls your phone

CHICAGO >> If you thought we had a few years before the world turns into a real-life “Black Mirror” episode, think again. Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry’s exhibit, “Wired to Wear,” makes it very clear that the future of fashion goes well beyond a smartwatch that can pay for your coffee. With more than 100 innovations from 15 countries — and featuring brands like Google, Nike and Intel — the exhibit is dedicated to the future of wearable technology. Some of the items in the exhibit are in production, some are near completion and others were constructed to showcase the possibilities of new technology in need of a mind-blowing application.

Here are a few of our favorites.

Double-duty tattoo

Microsoft’s temporary Smart Tattoo by Asta Roseway and Paul Johns transforms a gold leaf skin embellishment into an interface. DuoSkin can be added to an existing tattoo or can be used on its own, and allows you to control your mobile devices, become a living keyboard or store information on your skin — all while making a major style statement.

Smart jean jacket

OK, Levi’s is always in style, especially its denim jackets. But now through a collab with Google, Levi’s has updated the iconic jacket to have touchscreen functionality.

Just imagine tapping your cuff to change a song or turn on the lights or feel a vibration when your Uber is arriving.

Micro-thin Jacquard threads are sewn into the fabric, allowing sensor grids throughout the jacket to function as a touchscreen that links to your mobile device via Bluetooth. As the technology advances, the jacket updates just like your smartphone — and it’s machine­-washable.

You can stop imagining, because this is actually happening. The first iteration of the jacket launched in 2017, retailing for $350.

Watchful dress

Commissioned by the Museum of Science and Industry, designer and technologist Behnaz Farahi created the Iridescence dress to highlight vision-activated technology. The collar of the dress is constructed with a tiny camera and 200 quills that follow and react with lifelike behavior to a viewer’s facial expressions and movements. For example, when the collar detects an angry face looking at it, the iridescent quills express anxiety with jittery move­ments. As the viewer moves around the dress, the quills shift to follow the viewer, creating a new pattern nd shape in the collar of the dress.

Digital backpack

Toss the Game Boy because now you can play old-school video games on the LED illuminated PIX Backpack, which can be customized from your mobile device. You can also fulfill your inner artist and embellish the flexible, programmable screen with designs from a library, or created from scratch using your smartphone and sent via Bluetooth. Pix also allows you to display the time, weather and your mobile notifications through PIX’s widgets.

Fresh out of campaigns on Kickstarter and Indiegogo, the backpack was created by a group of young inventors from Ukraine and is available now.

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IF YOU GO: “WIRED TO WEAR”

>> When: Exhibit of fashion and tech­nology, “Wired to Wear,” runs through May 2020.

>> Where: Museum of Science + Industry Chicago, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago

>> Info: 773-684-1414 or msichicago.org