Researchers believe that the human-like appearance of robots can improve their communication and make them more likable.
Scientists want robots to resemble people as closely as possible for them to be relatable, which is crucial in the healthcare and service industries.
The researchers believe that living skin is the solution for giving robots a lifelike appearance and feel.
To build the skin, the researchers immersed a robotic finger in collagen and human dermal fibroblasts – the two primary components of the skin’s connective tissues – to generate the skin.
Shoji Takeuchi, a scientist at the University of Tokyo, stated, “The finger seems slightly sweaty immediately after being removed from the culture medium.
“Because the finger is powered by an electric motor, it is also fascinating to hear the motor’s clicking sounds in sync with the finger’s realistic appearance.”
Existing silicone skin for robots can resemble a human appearance, but it lacks finer characteristics such as wrinkles and cannot perform like human skin.
One of the challenges of developing sheets of living skin to wrap robots is adapting them to moving objects with uneven surfaces.
Prof. Takeuchi stated, “With this technique, you need the hands of a trained artisan who can cut and shape the skin sheets.”
“To efficiently cover surfaces with skin cells, we developed a tissue-molding technique to directly shape skin tissue around the robot, resulting in a flawless skin covering on a robotic finger.”
According to Prof. Takeuchi, the success lay in the collagen and fibroblast mixture’s intrinsic shrinking propensity, which shrunk and tightly conformed to the finger.
This layer also provided a uniform base for the subsequent layer of human cells to adhere to.
Ninety percent of the outermost layer of skin is composed of these cells, giving the robot a skin-like feel and moisture-retaining barrier qualities.
The engineered skin is elastic enough to move as the robotic finger curls and stretches, can be lifted with tweezers, repels water, and can even self-heal with the assistance of a collagen bandage.
Prof. Takeuchi remarked, “We are shocked by how strongly the skin tissue adheres to the robot’s surface.”
“I believe living skin is the best way to give robots the appearance and feel of living things because it is the same material that covers animal bodies.”
