Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2024 - MD-22

robot face, which helped a layer of
skin take hold. Their research could
be useful in the cosmetics industry and
to help train plastic surgeons.
Takeuchi is a pioneer in the field of
biohybrid robotics, where biology and
mechanical engineering meet. So far, his
lab, the Biohybrid Systems Laboratory, has
created mini robots that walk using biological
muscle tissue, 3D-printed lab-grown
meat, engineered skin that can heal, and
more. It was during research on the last of
these items that Takeuchi felt the need to
take the idea of robotic skin further to
improve its properties and capabilities.
" During previous research on a finA
Human
Inspired
Robot
Epidermis
Dermis
Adipose
tissue
Superficial fascia
Deep fascia
Muscle
Skin ligaments
B
ger-shaped robot covered in engineered
skin tissue we grew in our lab, I felt the
need for better adhesion between the robotic
features and the subcutaneous structure
of the skin, " said Takeuchi. " 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. The natural
flexibility of the skin and the strong
method of adhesion mean the skin can
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22
Collegen gel
containing NHDFs
Gelation
Dermis equivalent
hold by perforation-type
anchors
Robot
skeleton
Perforation-type anchors
to attach a skin to a robot
Perforation-type anchor
The engineered skin tissue and the way it adheres to the underlying complex structure of the robot's features
were inspired by skin ligaments in human tissues. (Image: Takeuchi et al. CC-BY-ND)
move with the mechanical components of
the robot without tearing or peeling away. "
Previous methods to attach skin tissue
to solid surfaces involved things like mini
anchors or hooks, but these limited the
kinds of surfaces that could receive skin
coatings and could cause damage during
motion. By carefully engineering small
perforations instead, essentially any shape
of surface can have skin applied to it.
The trick the team employed was to
use a special collagen gel for adhesion,
which is naturally viscous so difficult to
feed into the minuscule perforations.
But using a common technique for plastic
adhesion called plasma treatment,
they managed to coax the collagen into
the fine structures of the perforations
while also holding the skin close to the
surface in question.
" Manipulating soft, wet biological tissues
during the development process is
much harder than people outside the
field might think. For instance, if sterility
is not maintained, bacteria can enter
and the tissue will die, " said Takeuchi.
" However, now that we can do this, living
skin can bring a range of new abilities
to robots. Self-healing is a big deal
- some chemical-based materials can
be made to heal themselves, but they
require triggers such as heat, pressure or
other signals, and they also do not proliferate
like cells. Biological skin repairs
minor lacerations as ours does, and
nerves and other skin organs can be
added for use in sensing and so on. "
This research was not just made to prove
a point, though. Takeuchi and his lab have
a goal in mind for this application that
could help in several areas of medical research.
The idea of an organ-on-a-chip is
not especially new, and finds use in things
like drug development, but something like
a face-on-a-chip could be useful in research
into skin aging, cosmetics, surgical procedures,
plastic surgery and more. Also, if
sensors can be embedded, robots may be
endowed with better environmental awareness
and improved interactive capabilities.
" In this study, we managed to replicate
human appearance to some extent by
creating a face with the same surface material
and structure
as humans, " said
Takeuchi. " Additionally, through this research,
we identified new challenges, such
as the necessity for surface wrinkles and a
thicker epidermis to achieve a more humanlike
appearance. We believe that creating
a thicker and more realistic skin can
be achieved by incorporating sweat glands,
sebaceous glands, pores, blood vessels, fat
and nerves. Of course, movement is also a
crucial factor, not just the material, so another
important challenge is creating humanlike
expressions by integrating sophisticated
actuators, or muscles, inside the
robot. Creating robots that can heal themselves,
sense their environment more accurately
and perform tasks with humanlike
dexterity is incredibly motivating. "
For more information, contact Rohan
Mehra at press-releases.adm@gs.mail.
u-tokyo.ac.jp.
Motion Design, August 2024

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Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2024

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