Robots with real skin: Japanese scientists blur the line between man, machine

DDM News

A team of Japanese scientists has developed living skin for robots using real human cells and collagen.

According to Diaspora Digital Media (DDM), the breakthrough was achieved by researchers at the University of Tokyo, led by Professor Shoji Takeuchi.

This innovative skin is soft, stretchable, and closely resembles human skin in both texture and appearance.

Unlike synthetic materials, the new skin can move, stretch, and even heal itself after being cut or damaged.

In a demonstration, researchers made a small cut in the robot’s skin and applied a collagen-based bandage.

Remarkably, the skin gradually repaired itself, restoring its original form without external medical intervention.

Professor Takeuchi explained that the goal is to help robots interact more naturally with humans.

He believes lifelike skin can create emotional connections between people and machines across different fields.

The skin is grown by cultivating human skin cells around a robotic structure using a 3D molding technique.

It moves in sync with the robot’s mechanical components, enabling facial expressions like smiling or frowning.

Such expressions could make robots more relatable in roles that involve frequent human interaction.

Potential applications include healthcare, prosthetics, customer service, and realistic medical training tools.

This technology could change how robots are accepted, especially in caregiving and companion-based settings.

However, the researchers acknowledge that key challenges remain before the technology becomes mainstream.

Currently, the skin lacks a circulatory system, limiting its durability and long-term functionality.

Expanding the skin to cover an entire robot’s body is also still under development.

Despite these hurdles, the breakthrough marks a major step toward emotionally intelligent, human-like robots.

Dr. Naomi Fujikawa, a roboticist not involved in the study, described the development as “exciting and a little eerie.”

She noted that the boundaries between humans and machines are becoming increasingly blurred.

As this living skin technology evolves, it could transform the way we perceive and interact with robots.

The future of robotics is here—and it looks surprisingly human.

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