
Check out design consultancy RKS' latest: The Neuma Hybrid Tattoo Machine, a "lighter-weight, fully-autoclavable tattoo machine delivering a less painful tattoo experience and drastically reduced healing times."
Traditional electric coil tattoo machines have barely evolved since their invention in the late 1800's. Still in wide use today, these machines are heavy, awkward, loud, temperamental, and, worst of all, they can't be sterilized in medical grade autoclave machines. This significantly increases chances of spreading blood-borne disease.Dissatisfied with traditional coil machines, award-winning tattoo artist and inventor Carson Hill set out to create a completely new kind of tattoo technology--the first air-powered tattoo machine.

Comments
I don't know a lot about tat guns (beside being on the receiving end), but that machine is wicked...... cant wait 2 try it out.
Air-powered! I like this...
Great! My cousin is a tattoo artist based in London and he loved this idea. Let's see how it's accepted in the mass market.
Hmmmm, not to sure.
The design in great and so is the thinking but i'm not sure if all Tattoo artist would be into it.
As a product designer and Tattoo collector I have talked to many artists about this idea in the past and it was not that warmly received. There is still a 'dark art' to tattooing and many make there own 'guns' after an apprenticeship. There is already some bad feeling with shows like Miami Ink making the whole trade commercial and 'trendy', something like this may be seen as commercializing the trade even more.
But fingers crossed that this gets the industry interested and moving forward.
Superb! anything that speeds the healing time has got to be worth a look, and it looks cools too!!
This is sweet, I have been a Tattooist 14 years and yeah you have some that frown about change with many things. We do need upgrade and yes many make em and sell em too. Well it has got to be worth a try and if you are good and its an even better machine then you have got to be even better with it.
I think that people will always want to have a tattoo done with a traditionol tattoo gun but with our economy the way it is having something top class is going to turn heads and bring recognition to the artist with the top gear. Having something that is easier to tattoo with is just going to make it worth while to be an artist.
This looks like a bold new step in the evolution of the art...we have come a long way from the sharp stick and rock method
@nathaniel: people have always wanted what's new, flashy, and innovative; regardless of any "dark art", as nik so eloquently put it.
the fact that this machine is new, has a modern look & feel, improves healing time, and is near silent will almost ensure that this it will be a hit in the industry. however, the elders may shun the gun, purely out of reluctance to accept change. the fact of the matter is, the old road-dogs won't be providing the tattoos of the future. end of story.