Technology is not just restricted to the educational and professional sectors, it has seeped into the beauty circuit too. And, the latest invention will blow your mind. According to a press release by the University of Tokyo, a group of Japanese scientists gave robots a human-like makeover. How? By attaching living skin to their faces, resulting in a fairly realistic smile and facial expressions. How cool is that? The project members conducted facial reconfiguring by binding engineered skin tissue on a humanoid robot's face. The research is deemed beneficial in skin ageing, drug development, surgical procedures, training plastic surgeons, and making an impact in the cosmetics industry.
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Professor Shoji Takeuchi who led the team of researchers, specialises in Biohybrid Systems which combines biology and mechanical engineering. They have created mini-robots that can walk with the help of “biological muscle tissue, 3D printed lab-grown meat, engineered skin that can heal”, the press release informed. Mr Takeuchi wanted to take the idea of robotic skin further to improve the humanoid's capabilities.
“By mimicking human skin-ligament structures and by using specially made V-shaped perforations in solid materials, we found a way to bind the skin to complex structures. The natural flexibility of the skin and the strong method of adhesion mean the skin can move with the mechanical components of the robot without tearing or peeling away,” said the professor, as quoted by the press release.
So, how did the researchers find a way to attach skin tissues on a solid surface? The trick was using a “special collagen gel for adhesion, which is naturally viscous so difficult to feed into the minuscule perforations.” By incorporating plasma treatment, they succeeded in coaxing the collagen that enabled the skin to hold close to the surface. “Biological skin repairs minor lacerations as ours does, and nerves and other skin organs can be added for use in sensing and so on,” the report added.
Besides achieving a “smiling robot” feature, Mr Takeuchi and his team have also identified “new challenges such as the necessity for surface wrinkles and a thicker epidermis to achieve a more humanlike appearance. We believe that creating thicker and more realistic skin can be achieved by incorporating sweat glands, sebaceous glands, pores, blood vessels, fat, and nerves.”
The Takeuchi-led group is also keen on creating human-esque expressions on the robots “by integrating sophisticated actuators, or muscles.” Their motivation? “Creating robots that can heal themselves, sense their environment more accurately, and perform tasks with humanlike dexterity.”
