As we know, we live in a connected world. We are more and more surrounded by connected objects. This is probably what inspired two design students at the Media Design Practices Art Center located in Pasadena, California.

Ditto for MIT students Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao and Artem Dementyev.

Their common point, imagine connected nails.

Multifunctional nails

Nails could be used other than as an aesthetic element. In a way, this is the project of design students Kristina Ortega and Jenny Rodenhouse. They designed prototypes of connected nails. The goal is to offer objects to personalize the nails so that everyone can “increase their physical integrity”. These objects are therefore a mix between design and electronics.

Their prototype makes it possible to produce light when we tap our nails on one surface, to vibrate in contact with another, etc.

Internet at your fingertips

We can already connect to the internet with our smarpthone, tablet and even our watch for some. Imagine if our nails also allowed us to control connected objects. This is the objective of the NailO project imagined by Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao and Artem Dementyev. Indeed, the NailO is a connected nail that comes in the form of a small touchpad. It can connect via Bluetooth to an object such as a tablet and control it remotely.

Beyond the simple manicure

Perhaps in the coming years, our manicure will no longer be a simple element of beauty, but also a real aesthetic or practical tool. It could be nails that light up in the dark, a control of our electrical appliances, and maybe even the ability to call by positioning our nail in front of the mouth. The possibilities and ideas are immense and more and more creators are interested in connected nails.

We recommend that you use the adequate manicure and pedicure set to take care of your nails before applying any kind of decoration.  

Read also: What is caviar manicure?