Japanese scientists bring robots to life with living skin
By Ryan General
Researchers at the University of Tokyo’s Biohybrid Systems Laboratory successfully attached live, self-healing skin to a robot’s face, enabling it to mimic human expressions. Led by biohybrid robotics pioneer Shoji Takeuchi, the breakthrough paves the way for more realistic, interactive humanoid robots in the future.
- How it works: Inspired by human skin ligaments, the new binding technique utilizes “anchors” and a special collagen gel to securely attach cultured skin tissue to a robotic actuator. This allows the robot to move its “face” without tearing or damaging the skin. While the current prototype resembles a cartoonish appearance, the team aims to enhance its realism by adding wrinkles and a thicker epidermis and integrating biological components.
- What’s next: Takeuchi envisions a future where robots possess other anatomical parts found in the human skin, including sweat glands, sebaceous glands, pores, nerves and blood vessels. “Of course, movement is also a crucial factor, not just the material, so another important challenge is creating humanlike expressions by integrating sophisticated actuators, or muscles, inside the robot,” Takeuchi said. “Creating robots that can heal themselves, sense their environment more accurately and perform tasks with human-like dexterity is incredibly motivating.”
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