Shoji Takeuchi, Institute of Industrial Science (IIS), University of Tokyo
Some day, and not that far in the future, advanced humanoid robots will be existing side by side with actual humans and you might not even be able to tell which is which.
In fact, at the current rate of development, it won’t even be too long before they are doing things like driving the car right next to you and you won’t even realize it’s a robot.
Because, based on a new study published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, these humanoids will soon have faces and bodies made from actual living human skin. Oh, and it will be self-healing.
So not only will these robots have bones, ligaments and tendons wrapped in lab-grown muscle tissue, they will also have skin, better skin, made from humans.
According to New Scientist, “The living tissue is a cultured mix of human skin cells grown in a collagen scaffold and placed on top of a 3D-printed resin base. Unlike previous similar experiments, the skin also contains the equivalent of the ligaments that, in humans and other animals, are buried in the layer of tissue beneath the skin, holding it in place and giving it incredible strength and flexibility.”
Of course, these scientists aren’t stopping there.
“The lack of sensing functions and the absence of blood vessels to supply nutrients and moisture means it cannot survive long in the air,” said study author Michio Kawai of Harvard University. “To address these issues, incorporating neural mechanisms and perfusion channels into the skin tissue is the current challenge.”
“Firstly, we need to enhance the durability and longevity of the cultured skin when applied to robots, particularly by addressing issues related to nutrient and moisture supply,” study author Shoji Takeuchi of the Institute of Industrial Science (IIS), University of Tokyo, told Live Science. “This could involve developing integrated blood vessels or other perfusion systems within the skin.
“Secondly, improving the mechanical strength of the skin to match that of natural human skin is crucial. This involves optimizing the collagen structure and concentration within the cultured skin.”
Bonus: this living skin for robots will also be resistant to biological contamination.
We are so screwed. And we have no one to blame but ourselves.