Shoji Takeuchi, a professor at the University of Tokyo, continues to innovate in the field of bio-hybrid robotics. His team at the Biohybrid Systems Laboratory has gone a step further by developing a technique to attach skin to humanoids of complex shapes using a robot face.
A robot face managed to smile with skin grafting
Inspired by human ligaments, Takeuchi’s team has designed an artificial face for the robot with strategic perforations. This has allowed them to apply a flexible and well adhered skin layer, capable of moving without tearing.
The skin layer has multiple properties. Source: Asahi Shimbun Digital.
In the evidence presented in Cell Reports Physical Science the skin allows the robot to make a shy smile. Previously, anchors or hooks were used to attach the skin to solid surfaces, but these methods could cause damage during movement. The new technique uses a viscous collagen gel that is introduced into the perforations, facilitating better skin adhesion.
The developed skin tissue also has self-healing properties, repairing itself from minor lacerations and is kept clean to prevent degradation by airborne bacteria and objects. In the future, it is expected to incorporate nerves and other skin organs to further improve its functionality.
What will robot skin look like in the future?
Takeuchi says they are moving toward creating a human-like appearance in robots by human appearance in robots by developing thicker and more realistic skin, which will include sweat glands, sebaceous glands, pores, blood vessels, fat and nerves. which will include sweat glands, sebaceous glands, pores, blood vessels, fat and nerves. The next challenges include creating human facial expressions by integrating muscles into robots, developing robots capable of self-healing, improving their ability to sense their environment more accurately, and performing tasks with human-like dexterity. .
This advance is not only significant for robotics, but also has potential to be useful in human facial aging research, as well as in the development of cosmetics and plastic surgery. Takeuchi and his team hope that this robotic technology with artificial skin can offer new perspectives and solutions in these fields.
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Source and photos: University of Tokyo