2D or 3D. Other methods to bind skin tissue to solid structures come with limitations. This new method can work on complex, curved, and even moving surfaces. (©2024 Takeuchi et al. CC-BY-ND)
Get ready for human-like cyborgs with lab-grown faces. Soon, thanks to researchers from the University of Tokyo, led by Professor Shoji Takeuchi, who have made a significant advancement in robotics, we may not be able to tell the difference between a real person and a robot.
This innovation marks a crucial step towards creating more lifelike and functional humanoid robots, bridging the gap between artificial and biological systems.
So, how did they do it?
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Well, the scientists ditched the old technique of using tiny hooks for a new way to attach skin-like materials to robots. This is because the hooks limited the types of surfaces the skin could stick to and could tear during movement. The new approach uses cleverly designed tiny holes instead. This allows skin to be applied to almost any shaped surface. The key is a special collagen gel used as a glue. However, this gel is thick and difficult to squeeze into the small holes.
The scientists borrowed a technique from plastic bonding called plasma treatment. This treatment essentially “coaxes” the collagen gel into the tiny holes, while also securing the skin to the surface.
“During previous research on a finger-shaped robot covered in engineered skin tissue we grew in our lab, I felt the need for better adhesion between the robotic features and the subcutaneous structure of the skin,” said Professor Shoji Takeuchi who led the research. “By mimicking human skin-ligament structures and by using specially made V-shaped perforations in solid materials, we found a way to bind 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.”
“Manipulating soft, wet biological tissues during the development process is much harder than people outside the field might think. For instance, if sterility is not maintained, bacteria can enter and the tissue will die,” added Takeuchi. “However, now that we can do this, living skin can bring a range of new abilities to robots. Self-healing is a big deal — some chemical-based materials can be made to heal themselves, but they require triggers such as heat, pressure or other signals, and they also do not proliferate like cells. 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 scientists said their research was not just made to prove a point. Takeuchi and his lab have a goal in mind for this application they believe could help in several areas of medical research. This includes procedures like face transplants. Also, if sensors can be embedded, robots may be endowed with better environmental awareness and improved interactive capabilities.
