According to a BBC report, on June 26, Japanese scientists developed a technology to apply engineered skin tissue created from living cells to humanoid robots.
Including the BBC, other media outlets have also reported that Tokyo University Professor Takeuchi Shoji and his research team published a paper on June 25 about a robot with artificial skin attached through Cell Reports Physical Science. They are known to be the sister journal of the prestigious academic journal Cell.
According to the report, the research team was inspired by human ligaments and devised the idea of attaching artificial skin to the robot’s face.
Inspired by how human skin is tied to muscles and tissues with collagen and elastin ligaments, they drilled multiple holes in the robot. They covered the artificial skin with a collagen-containing gel.
The artificial skin is not only soft like real skin but also doesn’t tear easily and can regenerate itself when damaged.
Takeuchi conducted this research, and explained, “We were inspired by the human skin-ligament structure and created specially made V-shaped perforations in solid materials to attach artificial skin to the robot. The flexibility of the artificial skin and the strong adhesion method allows the skin to move with the robot’s mechanical components without tearing or peeling off.”
However, the research team clarified that a prototype had been revealed, and it would require several more years of extensive testing before it could be applied to everyday life.
They also anticipated this would pave the way for creating humanoid robots capable of making facial expressions. This is expected to be helpful for surgeons in the fields of skin aging, plastic surgery, and beauty when conducting clinical trials and the like.
