Watch: Scientists create smiling robot face from living human skin

Japanese scientists have made a significant breakthrough in creating a smiling robot face with lab-grown living skin.
The skin, made from a mixture of human skin cells grown on a collagen model, was attached to a 3D-printed resin base and can heal itself if damaged.
This innovation could lead to robots that interact closely with humans, such as in healthcare, service, and companion robots, where human-like functions are needed.
The researchers from the University of Tokyo, who published their findings in Cell Reports Physical Science, believe that the living skin could be a key step in creating robots that heal and feel like humans.

The lab-grown skin has been attached to a simple, tiny robot face that is capable of smiling, and the tissue can repair itself if damaged.
The skin’s dermal cells were cultured first, and the epidermal cells were then added on top to complete the structure.
The skin was attached to the robot face using “perforation-type anchors” that perforate the resin base and create small cavities for the tissue to fill in.
“By mimicking human skin-ligament structures and by using specially made V-shaped perforations in solid materials, we found a way to bind skin to complex structures,” lead researcher Prof Shoji Takeuchi told the BBC.
“The natural flexibility of the skin and the strong method of adhesion mean the skin can move with the mechanical components of the robot without tearing or peeling away.”
The team, however, said it would take many years of testing before it is used commercially.
Researchers also said that the work may also be useful in research into skin ageing, cosmetics, and surgical procedures, including plastic surgery.