Our skin is our largest organ — a gateway between our brain and the rest of the world. Imagine then a scene where skin could communicate what is going on inside a human body. It could inform surgeons, provide alerts when our body is about to fall ill, or even diagnose diseases inside another human being, simply through the sense of touch.

University of Tokyo scientist Takao Someya is making that scene a reality. Someya has invented a bionic, or electronic, skin (e-skin) with the potential to bestow amazing new powers of sensitivity upon humans. It is as light as a feather, yet almost indestructible, and could one day change the field of medicine.

Someya is striving for a future where doctors wearing a bespoke glove made from his technology could detect a tiny tumour hiding inside a woman's breast, simply by feeling it. This would reduce the need for referrals and scans and could potentially detect tumours earlier — during routine checks. The possibilities are vast.

These wearable e-skins could also be used to monitor our vital signs and even help medics predict future heart attacks, by monitoring our heart signals. Someya plans to make this happen within the next few years.