Robots Can Now Have Horrifying Sticky Skin On Their Faces

One of humanity’s fantasies and nightmares is that there will come a time when we will not be able to differentiate between humans and animals. robotsand that the latter are so similar in appearance that even their living tissues are.

New work published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science may go in this direction.

The hypothesis put forward by researchers at the University of Tokyo and Harvard is: How could such a living tissue surface, whatever its advantages and disadvantages, be attached to the mechanical backbone of a robotic limb or “face”?

The scientists wanted to see if they could create a version that would allow living skin to adhere tightly to an artificial substrate and also be manipulated in multiple directions without unintentionally tearing or deforming.

Skin equivalent, a model of living skin composed of cells and extracellular matrix, has the potential to become an ideal covering material for robots due to its biological functions.

Result:

They say cultured skin could heal itself, have biological sensors similar to ours to provide sensitive touch, and could also have benefits in the context of medicine or human interaction.