Inspired by science fiction, researchers at the University of Tokyo realized a concept reminiscent of the Terminator movies by growing live skin in the laboratory and placing it on the face of a robot. The result is a robot that can show basic facial expressions; This is an important step towards creating more human-like robots.

The research team, led by Professor Shoji Takeuchi, believes that this innovation can take the functionality of robots to a new level.

Soft, moist biological tissues are much more difficult to manipulate during development than non-specialists might realize. For example, if infertility is not taken care of, bacteria can get in and the tissue can die. But now that we can do this, living skin could open up a whole host of new possibilities for robots.
– explained Takeuchi.

One of the most important benefits of this living skin is its ability to heal itself, just like human skin. Unlike chemical-based materials that require external stimuli such as heat or pressure to regenerate, bio-based skin can heal minor injuries on its own.

This feature is crucial for the development of robots that can maintain their integrity and functionality for long periods of time.

Living skin on the face of a robot / Photo: TAKEUCHI ET AL

Takeuchi said that during the research, the team managed to reproduce the human appearance to a certain extent by creating a face with the same surface material and structure as a human. In addition, through this research, scientists identified new challenges, such as the need for superficial wrinkles and a thicker epidermis to achieve a more human-like appearance.

We believe that creating thicker and more realistic skin can be achieved by combining sweat and sebaceous glands, pores, blood vessels, oils and nerves.
– said the scientist.

The ultimate goal is to create robots that are not only more human-like but also have enhanced sensory abilities and dexterity. This involves integrating complex actuators or artificial muscles to enable human-like facial expressions and movements.