--- title: "Artist Uses 5G Robot to Tattoo Somebody In A Different Location" description: "As part of a marketing stunt, Dutch TV personality Stijn Fransen got a tattoo by a tattoo artist remotely through the use of a 5G-enabled robot." date: "2021-03-09" modified: "2021-03-09" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/5g-robot-tattoo-different-location" categories: - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "5G" - "tattoo" - "tattoos" - "the digest" --- # Artist Uses 5G Robot to Tattoo Somebody In A Different Location ![As part of a marketing stunt, Dutch TV personality Stijn Fransen got a tattoo by a tattoo artist remotely through the use of a 5G-enabled robot.]() *\Image: T-Mobile\* ## Distance Tattoo As part of a marketing stunt for telecom T-Mobile Netherlands, Dutch TV personality Stijn Fransen got a tattoo by a tattoo artist — but remotely, through the use of a 5G-enabled robot. Tattoo artist Wes Thomas tattooed Fransen remotely through the use of a cleverly engineered robotic arm that used machine learning to learn the placement of Fransen's arm and map the placement onto Fransen's body. https://youtu.be/GSbaqCe747Q ## Butternut Squashed The robot was built and programmed by London-based technologist Noel Drew over several weeks. "Every part of the build was considered and either purchased specifically or designed, developed, and fabricated in house from the ground up," Drew [told *PCMag*](). It was quite the undertaking. "Multiple tracks of development across software and hardware, constant iteration of designs and prototyping, a bank of 3D printers working nearly 24/7 churning out parts," Drew recalled. "Many butternut squash were harmed in the test cycle before it was refined and ready for reality," Drew said, implying that he had tested the hardware on vegetables before trying it out on Fransen. ## Fearless Fransen Fransen took the entire process in stride. "She was so unbelievably calm about the whole thing," Drew told *PCMag*. Luckily, there were fail-safes "all over this project," according to the technologist. A potentiometer monitored the surface of Fransen's arm, for instance, to make sure the needle didn't go too far in. Fortunately, nobody was harmed during the experience. While T-Mobile clearly intended the stunt to sell 5G coverage, the feat is a testament to the power of robotics and machine learning as well. **READ MORE:** [Are You Brave Enough to Get a Tattoo From a Robot?]() \[*PCMag*\] **More on robotics:** *[Watch a Badass Wearable Robot Arm Hulk Smash Through a Wall]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()