It is the face of the future.
A team of scientists has revealed a robot’s face covered in a delicate layer of living skin that heals itself and creases into a smile in hopes of developing more human-like cyborgs.
The skin was made in a University of Tokyo lab from a mixture of human skin cells grown on a collagen template and placed on a 3D printed resin base, New Scientist reported.
The project’s scientists – who published their results on Tuesday in Cell Reports Physical Science – believe living skin could be a key step in creating robots that heal and feel like humans.
“This living skin would be particularly useful for robots that interact closely with humans, such as healthcare, service, companion and humanoid robots, where human-like functions are needed,” said Professor Shoji Takeuchi at The Times of London.
Lab-grown skin has been attached to a simple little robot face that can smile – and the tissue can heal itself.
“Skin can repair itself if it is damaged, the same way human skin heals wounds,” Takeuchi explained.
“And integrating sensory functions such as touch and temperature sensing is more feasible with living tissue. »
Dermal cells from the skin were first cultured, then epidermal cells were added on top to complete the structure, he added.
The skin was attached to the robot’s face using what Michio Kawai of Harvard University described to New Scientist as “punch-type anchors” that puncture the resin base and create small cavities that tissue can fill.
The perforations are actually the equivalent of the flexible, strong ligaments that humans and animals have under their skin, Takeuchi told The Times of London.
“This creates a smooth, strong bond between the skin and the robot… The natural flexibility of the skin and the strong method of adhesion means the skin can move with the mechanical components of the robot without tearing or peeling,” a- he noted.
Although lab-grown skin still doesn’t closely resemble real human skin, Takeuchi said the latest work remains crucial.
“We identified new challenges, such as the need for superficial wrinkles and thicker epidermis to achieve a more human appearance,” he said.
“We believe it is possible to create thicker, more realistic skin by incorporating sweat glands, oil glands, pores, blood vessels, fat and nerves.”
The skin’s capabilities also have surprising implications for the cosmetics industry, Kawai told New Scientist.
When the scientists made the robot smile for a month, they found that the tissue replicated the appearance of expression lines in the skin, he said.
“Being able to recreate wrinkle formation on a palm-sized lab chip can simultaneously be used to test new cosmetic and skin care products aimed at preventing, delaying or improving wrinkle formation,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the experts are back in the laboratory.
“It may take up to 10 years of research and development before living skin can be used by robots that regularly interact with people,” Takeuchi said.
“However, we are making progress and, with continued efforts, this vision could become a reality within the next decade. »
News Source : nypost.com
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