It won’t fool anyone into thinking the robot is a human, though
WTF?
This could be a breakthrough for medical and cosmetic research, as similar developments have already shown.
Moreover, realistic-looking smiling robots could one day become more accepted in the workplace and social situations.
By engineering small perforations instead, essentially any shape of surface can have skin applied to it.
One such ability is self-healing, which Takeuchi says is a big deal.
Also, if sensors can be embedded, robots could have better environmental awareness and improved interactive capabilities.
The team noted that it would take many years of testing before it is used commercially.
This research will more likely be first leveraged in the cosmetics industry and to help train plastic surgeons.
Similar developments also illustrate how useful engineered skin on robots could be for medical research.
Takeuchi is a pioneer in the field of biohybrid robotics.
Takeuchi’s studyappearedin the journal Cell Reports Physical Science.
