If you shake hands with a robot today, it would feel no different to grab a piece of cold metal.
But one day, it may not be very different to shake hands with another human.
Key points:
- Japanese scientists have coated a robotic finger with human skin tissue that looks like the real thing
- The skin-like coating is strong, water-repellent and can be cured like normal skin.
- The findings are an important step in the design of robots that resemble humans
A team of researchers in Japan say they have taken the first step toward making it a reality by grafting “living human skin” into a robotic finger.
The laboratory-grown coating is made up of real human skin cells and can heal on its own when “injured” with the help of a collagen bandage.
And as in the real case, the coating is water repellent and wrinkles when the robot’s finger rolls.
The study was published today in the journal Matter.
Shoji Takeuchi, an engineer at the University of Tokyo, said the findings were a first step in building robots that look like us.
“Our goal is to develop robots that are really human-like,” said Professor Takeuchi, who led the study.
“We think that the only way to achieve an aspect that can be confused with a human being is to cover it with the same material as a human being: living cells.”
Wait … why do we want human-like robots?
The Westworld TV series (adapted from a book) represents a dystopian future where robots are “like humans.” (Supplied)
The idea of making robots as human as possible may sound straightforward from a dystopian sci-fi movie, but it’s an important goal for robotics.
Giving robots human qualities is not just about making them more relatable; it could also help them perform tasks more safely and efficiently, said Nicole Robinson, who specializes in robot-human interaction at Monash University.
“It’s important for robots to be able to interact effectively with a human-built world,” said Dr. Robinson, who was not involved in the study.
For example, a robot with a human hand is more likely to do a good job picking up an object designed for people, such as a cup of coffee, Dr. Robinson said.
Robots with human qualities could one day be valuable members of the team. (Wikimedia Commons: Loic Le Meur)
Another goal is to make robots safer for the people who work with them.
“[T]The robot is less likely to cause damage if confronted with the person, “said Dr. Robinson.
But making a realistic “skin” for robots has been a massive challenge for robotics.
While soft materials like silicone are strong and flexible enough to adapt to the movements of a robot, they cannot self-repair if they break.
It’s also tricky to get a flat sheet of silicone to fit the uneven body of a robot like a glove. Also, silicone skin isn’t so compelling up close, Professor Takeuchi said.
“You have to have the hands of a craftsman who knows how to cut and make with skills,” he said.
“The silicone rubber sleeves that are commonly used today may look real from a distance or in photos or videos, but as you get closer, you realize it’s artificial.”
Creation of human-cultured skin in the laboratory
To grow human-like skin from scratch, Professor Takeuchi and his team relied on two key components of the dermis (the middle layer of our skin): collagen and dermal fibroblasts.
Collagen is a protein that gives the skin its structure and elasticity, while dermal fibroblasts play a role in repairing wounds.
When the equipment dipped the robotic finger in a solution containing these two components, the liquid shrank and wrapped around the finger like a wrapper, forming a dermis-like layer.
“We were amazed at how well the skin tissue fit the surface of the robot,” Professor Takeuchi said.
The researchers then coated the finger with cells called keratinocytes, which make up about 90 percent of the epidermis, the outer, water-repellent layer of our skin.
When the team tested all the skin-like coating, they found that it was elastic enough to stretch and wrinkle as the robotic finger moved.
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Taking things further, the researchers tested the extent to which the coating could repel water.
Investigators placed a small polystyrene foam bead in front of her finger to see if she could remove it.
Polystyrene beads are often difficult to handle for robots covered with a damp coating, as they tend to stick to the surface of the robot.
But in this case, the finger successfully removed the pearl, confirming that its outer skin could repel water just like ours.
For comparison, the team used another robotic finger that had a layer similar to the dermis, but no epidermis on top.
While the finger did its best, the annoying pearl ended up sticking to the tip after several attempts at movement.
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But the final test was to find out if the skin-like coating could be cured.
With a surgical knife, the team made a small cut in the robot’s middle joint and then bandaged it with a collagen dressing, a common approach to treating real wounds.
After spending a week sitting on a culture plate, the collagen bandage had transformed into skin and had been maintained after several joint movements.
When can I get a skin-covered robot?
Juxi Leitner, a robotist from Monash University, said the most exciting part of the findings was its potential applications in areas outside of robotics, from the design of realistic prostheses to the treatment of burn victims.
“It’s an important step in showing what can be done,” said Dr. Leitner, who was not involved in the study.
But because the skin-like coating does not contain all the components of human skin, such as a hypodermis, the deepest layer of the skin, and blood vessels, Dr. Leitner doubts that it will withstand the passage of time.
“Right now, he won’t live long if he doesn’t have something that can provide him with a way to survive,” Dr. Leitner said.
Professor Takeuchi and his team have already begun to figure out how to build “circulatory systems” in the robot’s skin.
But the ultimate dream is to create a complete robot skin with sensory neurons, hair follicles, nails and sweat glands.
While it probably won’t be hard for us to know the difference between a robot and a human in the grocery store soon, Dr. Robinson agreed that the findings open up possibilities.
“Using an equivalent skin to cover hardware components is an important step forward in achieving closer collaboration between humans and robots,” Dr. Robinson said.
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Posted 6 hours 6 hours agoThursday, June 9, 2022 at 9:00 PM, updated 3 hours ago 3 hours ago Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 11:08 PM