Japan Robots Human Face: Robots Get a Beefy Face (And a Smile) in New Research

They created a face mask from human skin cells and combined it with robots with an innovative technology that hides the bonds and is flexible enough to turn into a grimace or a squishy smile.

The effect is something between Hannibal Lecter’s terrifying mask and the claymation figure Gumby.

But scientists say the prototypes pave the way for more sophisticated robots, with outer layers both resilient and durable that could protect the machine while appearing more human.

In addition to expression, “skin equivalents,” as the researchers call them, created in the laboratory from living skin cells, can scar and burn and even self-disease. A study published on June 25 Cell reports in the journal Physical Science.

“Human-like faces and expressions improve communication and empathy in human-robot interactions, making robots more effective in health care, service and companion roles,” said Shoji Takeuchi, a professor at the University of Tokyo and lead researcher of the study. email

The research comes as robots are becoming more ubiquitous on the factory floor.

were 3.9 million industrial robots Working on auto and electronics assembly lines and other work settings in 2022, according to the International Federation of Robotics.

A subset of the total robot stock includes so-called humanoids, machines designed with two arms and two legs that enable them to work in environments that were designed for human workers, such as factories, but also in hospitality, health care and education.

Carsten Heer, a spokesman for the federation, said that humanoids were an “exciting area of ​​development” but that mass market adoption would be complicated, and could be limited by cost.

However, in October 2023, the Chinese government announced a target Mass-producing humanoids By 2025, which he predicted would greatly increase its industrial productivity.

For decades, robotic engineers have experimented with materials, hoping to find something that would both protect a robot’s complex machinery but be soft and lightweight for a wide range of uses.

If a robot’s surface gets scratched or scratched, it could lead to a machine malfunction, making self-repair capability a “critical feature” for humanoid robots, the researchers said in the paper.

The novel skin attachment method advances the new field of “biohybrid” robotics, which combines mechanical engineering with genetic and tissue engineering, said Kevin Lynch, director of Northwestern University’s Center for Robotics and Biosystems.

“This study is a novel contribution to the problem of anchoring artificial skin to underlying materials,” said Professor Lynch, adding that “living skin could help us achieve the holy grail of self-healing skins in biohybrid robots.”

The study did not address how the robots’ skin would self-heal without external support, he added.

For such robots, the materials challenge extends to authenticity—finding ways to imbue the machine with characteristics that make it look and behave more like a human, such as the ability to smile.

Scientists, including Professor Takeuchi and his colleagues at the University of Tokyo, have been working with lab-grown human skin for years.

In 2022, the research team Developed a robotic finger Covered in living skin, allows the machine’s digit to bend like a human finger, potentially giving it the ability to perform more precise tasks.

Professor Takeuchi’s team tried to anchor the skin with mini-hooks, but moving the robot caused tears. So the team decided to mimic ligaments, the small ropes of loose tissue that connect bones.

Team members drilled small, V-shaped holes in the robot and applied a gel containing collagen, which plugged the holes and attached the artificial skin to the robot.

“This approach integrates traditional rigid robots with a soft, biological skin, making them more ‘human-like,'” said Yifan Wang, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, who is modeling “soft robots.” biological organisms.

Skin bonding also gives the biohybrid robot the potential for sentience, taking science one step closer to sci-fi fantasy.

“This could open up opportunities for robots to understand and safely interact with humans,” said Professor Wang.

The artificial skinned robots in Professor Takeuchi’s lab do not have the ability to sense facial touch or temperature changes or other external stimuli.

Professor Takeuchi said that was his next research target.

“We aim to create skin that closely mimics the functionality of real skin by slowly building essential components such as blood vessels, nerves, sweat glands, sebaceous glands and hair follicles,” he said.

Instead of the neural systems that convey sensations in the human body, the robot’s electronics would need to power the sensor signals – which Professor Wang said would require more time and research to develop.