A pink blob with glowing eyes is gaining widespread attention online, because this newly developed robot has what researchers call “living skin.”
Professor Shoji Takeuchi of the University of Tokyo developed the alien-like machine using an engineered skin attached to a humanoid robot.
Takeuchi previously created walking mini-robots using 3D-printed lab meat, engineered skin and biological muscle tissue. He decided to continue developing the skin feature, which was grown in the university's Biohybrid Systems Laboratory.
©2024 Takeuchi et al.
“During previous research on a finger-like robot coated with engineered skin tissue that we grew in our lab, I felt the need for better adhesion between the robotic features and the subcutaneous structure of the skin,” Takeuchi said. in a press release. “By mimicking the ligament structures of human skin and using specially made V-shaped perforations in solid materials, we found a way to attach skin to complex structures.”
He said the natural flexibility of the skin and its strong adhesion to the robot means the skin can be moved without peeling or tearing. The researchers used collagen for adhesion and plasma treatment to move the collage into the holes in the robot's mechanics. With this method, the skin can be added to any surface.
But, he said, this method is much more difficult than people might think because bacteria can enter the skin and tissue can die.
Unlike the chemical materials used to make skin, living skin can self-heal, which Takeuchi said was a big deal.
©2024 Takeuchi et al.
The pink blob was just the 2D model of the living skin robot. The researchers also made a 3D model with a more human-like head shape. Takeuchi said the next challenge is to make the skin thicker and add features such as wrinkles to make it more human-like.
“We believe that creating thicker, more realistic skin can be achieved by incorporating sweat glands, sebaceous glands, pores, blood vessels, fat and nerves,” he said in the press release. “Of course, movement is also a crucial factor, not just the material, so another major challenge is to create human expressions by integrating sophisticated actuators, or muscles, inside the robot.”
“Creating robots that can heal themselves, sense their surroundings more accurately and perform tasks with human dexterity is incredibly motivating,” he said.
So what could these human-like living skin robots be used for? Takeuchi says these robots can be used in medical research such as drug development and can also be used in skin aging, cosmetics research and training plastic surgeons.
