Thermotropic/Augmented Facial Reactions

Wanted to branch off and explore something mentioned from Here. Thank you @MTS :D

Completely dreaming here, but it'd be cool to use something similar to this for bioluminescent communication in the future. Somewhere in the facial region. Sort of like an advanced "blushing".


Having some form of augmented facial reaction to express emotions, such as something that does indeed react to a blush, would be very neat. Blushing by itself is one of the most human expressions in the animal kingdom, if anything else does blush... I don't know about it off hand. I know there isn't much, if anything else does.  

Bioluminescence via exposure to larger amounts of blood in capillaries, perhaps very subtle temperature changes below the skin? Something controlled passively that might produce just a SLIGHT extra effect to augment a blush reaction... Or maybe any other reaction that could be expressed via visual perception... If I recall seeing thermal scans, depression causes the entire body to become much colder... Maybe there could be a 'blush' reaction to depression?

Bouncing out ideas. I would love to see something like this. Ideas? 

Blushing is so... Human. ^^
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Comments

  • Heat reactive makeup that changes color seems way more likely than something implantable. That, or something that feeds emotional data to AR enabled viewers to display as blushes or the like, or just as some form of AR makeup.
  • @Zerbula @tekniklr those ideas sound really cool! Or maybe we could extract a chemical from a bioluminescent organism and somehow make it work with humans. Who knows. I definitely feel like this is something we'll see in the future. It'll be crazy to see how much more we can express ourselves using tech within the next couple of decades.
  • Transplanting glands maybe? Modifying the way a set of cells work?

    @tekniklr what about modifying a layer of the dermis to accomplish the same task? Like... I'm not saying tattoos, but some process to seed this material in our below the skin, or directly modifies the skin to produce something new or gain some auxiliary function?

    Heat sensitive makeup sounds like a good place to start. Ofc, assuming that's toxic and would break down ... but assuming theoretically it wasn't, and it could be anchored in the skin a little more permanently... Would it work? :o
  • edited March 2016
    Actually, I think tattoos would be a good way to do it. Toxicity would certainly be a concern there, but I'm assuming this would be less of a concern than say, bioproofing an implant- people have been doing diy tattoos for as long as there's been people and often without much in the way of sterilization and mostly that's been fine.
  • My next question would be how the color changes... x_x

    As in, to change color may require x thermal input... But are there chemicals that will simply revert immediately, a la super sensitive color changing hot wheel?
  • Remember those color changing shirts from the 90s? It could probably work like that, where certain areas would typically show as warmer, but you could always touch with a warm or cold hand to force a temporary color change.

    Still, too temporary to be more than a beast party trick, mostly. But an enhanced blush response would maybe just work?
  • i think an enhanced blush response would work
  • There's research being done on LED films; you could probably find a way to rig up a thin adhesive film with them as a temporary enhancement - you could even go a step further and make them display patterns and sequences.
  • edited March 2016

    These look cool. ^^

    Here is my next question to pose, because this looks like a working theory: Thermotropic liquid crystals being 'tattooed' under the skin... The only thing i think would be a mix up is in relation to toxicity. But even then, and i know this isn't an excuse, Some forms of Liquid crystals are organic in nature, including cholesterol.

    This would require no electrical input, be completely passive so long as a low and high temperature weren't violated (This is something i am unfamiliar with in regards to ranges). I am not sure about lifespan, 

    This is basically taking the color changing aspect out of the 'mood ring' and applying it dermally/subdermally. Faults anyone sees? :o

    Exciting. :D
  • And then of course... How 'dense' would the LC need to be to become visible from beneath the skin, of course, through the ranges of colors it can appear as.

    I suppose the primary aspect would to have this stay near or at a skin tone at the 'average' temperature, or have it be clear above/below a certain threshold... I think them being transparent at pre-threshold would be more ideal though. 

    This, again, could be cool for exhibiting a 'blush' reaction to the face growing colder as well. it doesn't just need to be warmer, provided materials allowed for such.  ^^

    Here it is. :o This is what I was referring to.
  • Are you able to find out the toxicity of cholestryl nonanoate? My (brief) searches come up with nothing, although it is used in hair dye and make up so it probably isnt too bad.

    You should also try and find out if the chemical will break down under the skin, since it'san organic compound.
  • Toxicity on the skin/hair and toxicity in the body are two radically different things.

    Also, the recommended handling of this molecule requires eyeglasses, gloves and a respirator...

    Medical attention for exposure is flushing off skin/eyes/whatever and usually immediate medical attention.

    Not body safe without modification.
    MSDS is your friend.
  • Thank you @Glims. ^^
  • Material Safety Data Sheet. Very useful little papers. ^^
  • Yep, MSDS is your friend, always check them out before messing around with them. You'd be surprised how much you can learn from reading them. Apparently the MSDS for salt water requires medical attention if exposed. And hydrogen peroxide requires a full self contained hazmat suit. Its a strange world.
  • Science is not a perfect science *shrug*  
  • edited March 2016
    Is sub dermal meant to be treated as internally, out of curiosity?

    The reason I ask... People have tattoos with ball point pen ink and ashes/charcoal, correct? I believe some cultures fancy rubbing clay into opened pockets to texture and ornament the body.


    No qualms researching myself a bit, just hands being tied. I have learned in the last few weeks I won a 1:500 lottery of ulcerative colitis *fanfare* \o/ It really sucks... medications please do your job...

    But um... there's a difference between skin and hair and internal and sub-dermal, correct? :o Not saying things aren't going to be dangerous or toxic just because it's not buddies with your guts, but doesn't sub dermal have a little more leeway than strait internal?
  • *more shrugging*  subdermal is different than internal is different than in your eyes or in your hair, sure yeah. You can test this with shampoo. Put it on your head. Then in your eye. then drink some. (please don't but you get my point).

    For all intents and purposes tho, unless you have some good data on it, subdermal means internal. Especially when we are talking about things that may react and things that may have weird effects. You have a bit more leeway but you get into the 'hmm what if something goes wrong and i lose this finger' arena when you are using untested chemicals.

    And just cause people decided to rub dirt or ballpoint pens into their bodies, doesn't mean it's a good idea, tho in those cases its more a matter of secondary molecules and sterility.
  • Of course. ^^
  • edited April 2016
    Doing a good amount of digging around >~<


    Having A LOT of trouble finding Thermotropics that fit the following criteria, WITHOUT even worrying about toxicity or the medium of containment. At least, i haven't contacted any companies yet, but this is just searching...

    - Color shifts from a clear to a color as it warms up
    - Doesn't get wrecked by UV light
    - Shifts in a range of 34-35 degrees 

    Most Thermotropic/Thermochromic pigments i'm finding are working from color to clear. Which would at least support the drop in temperature reaction. The harsh broadband being between color ranges and temperature ranges for the moment. 


    CHECKLIST TIME :D

    • I am wondering how much UV protection your skin gives subdermal presence. Is anyone familiar with Tattoos and how their UV reactions work?


    • Someone good with chemicals; I am finding/considering trying to rip the LC out of plastics they are mixed into, such as the Liquid Crystal Thermometers. Is this easily possible/feasible? or would trying to extract/dissolve the plastics damage the Liquid Crystals as well? Scratch this. Figured out what was wrong with this question. Have mercy. x-x


    • Provided there was an ideal Thermotropic Liquid Crystal source on hand and I was looking into finding a medium to suspend it in for injection into a body. What is a good option/carrier? or is it possible to just plant the Liquid Crystals strait in without any carrier or suspension medium? It's fun because it bridges a state between solid and liquid, but if I am understanding it right Liquid Crystals can still move, form, and take shape to some degree into a vessel, container, or location. Could it ride through a tattoo gun, or maybe very very shallow incisions are the way to go? Figured this out. ^^ AT LEAST with the method Tattoo's would use. Assuming here it might maybe be stable to apply the same.



    For this second, I'm not looking at Toxicity/MSDS. of course this doesn't mean I'm not going to be evaluating things before doing anything, moreso to figure out is anything possible.
  • On a second broad note... THE FACE!

    I think like...  Of the two things that listed actual temperature ranges...  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2074296 This being one of them...  and from the hundreds of Thermal face shots that are about, it looks like the cheeks are a bit lower on the list of the 'hot' spots on the face. it definitely starts rising around the mouth and when you get to the eye socket, but the actual cheek bone itself seems to be a bit cooler.

    Anyways, temperature range average seems to suggest the forehead is usually the warmest part, at 34-35 degrees(?) Whereas the cheeks tend to float lower at 32-33 degrees(?). 

    My other question is... how much does tempurautre spike up when one blushes. A few degrees? Only one or two? I realise this can be a matter of how severe one reacts, but how high is a potential? Or low?

    Looking for more supporting information if anyone wants to throw it out. Always welcome to it. ^^ 
  • edited April 2016
    Another idea: potential to suspend/cast LC in a clear implant-grade silicone to make a thermotropic implantable sheet/shape?

    But this just falls back to the issue of the skin is opaque-ish . Raah. Why does biology have to be complex. c_c


    Oooh, and another idea. Take for example the angler fish or the firefly. They glow. Would that be anything that's worth looking at? 
  • Only because you mentioned fireflys will I post this link.

    http://www.livescience.com/32677-what-makes-fireflies-light-up.html

    It's a mixture in the abdomen of oxygen, luciferin and interacts with ATP if I understand it correctly. The light is then reflected out.
  • I forgot to mention you can buy that combination it's called luciferase (I think I spelt it right)
  • #_# Does not look like that's going to be feasible... modifying/implanting cells with uric acid crystals and having then interact with a source of luciferase sounds a lot more difficult. >~<


    But still very interesting
  • Haha probably but I'm not some one with a lot bio knowledge. Just someone whose curious about things that pop up from time to time. Who knows pee Chrystal's could make us glow.
  • in theroy ( and i so rarely say this) in theory one could alter a cell to use luciferase. Everyone ends up doing in intro micro in bacteria (at least at my school). Doing it in teh face meats is well... a bit more difficult. Also you would need to super over express your luc, as its not that bright in just one cell. which means you would basically pick certain cells and then over express. I mean, it's doable. just a huge pain in the ass.

    You don't need uric acid mods. But you really need some serious hardware.
  • Hardware which this humble person lacks...  X_X

    Good to know it isn't outright impossible though. :o


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