Location-based | T-Mobile 5G Tattoo

For quite some time we’ve been hearing about the next generation of wireless technology, 5G. But while it is finally rolling out across the globe, many telecom providers still struggle with translating the technological improvements to relevant consumer benefits. Sure, it’s faster. But low latency? Greater reliability? Enhanced capacity? It all sounds great, but for what exactly? T-Mobile had a clear task in mind.

We teamed up with creative agency Anomaly Amsterdam to bring 5G closer to home and underpin T-Mobile’s reputation as The Netherland’s most trusted network. In order to do this, we developed ‘The Impossible Tattoo’: the world’s first-ever remote tattoo, powered by T-Mobile’s 5G technology.

What previously seemed impossible, became a reality when a robot arm, which was controlled by a tattoo artist in another location, placed a tattoo onto human skin in real-time via 5G. With the new benefits of the network, there is virtually no delay, which means an action with millimeter accuracy can be performed no matter the distance. ‘The Impossible Tattoo’ convincingly shows what speed, greater reliability and low latency mean in the real world.

The Mill’s Experience team, led by Noel Drew spent several months researching and developing cutting edge technology. Our team both built the custom robot tattoo arm needed for this groundbreaking feat and also created the film that captured it. Dutch tattoo artist Wes, was deeply involved in the research and development of the remote tattooing technology, ensuring a multitude of factors were taken into account when replicating the intricate art of tattooing. After countless tests on an army of heroic vegetables and prosthetic skin samples, it was Dutch actress and TV personality Stijn Fransen who successfully received the world’s first 5G tattoo.

Footage of the process covers everything, from building and testing the robot arm to the tattooing, which will be used in online communication and national broadcast for T-Mobile.