Human skin for robots...

[Maxmars]

I'm not really sure how to 'read' this.

On the one hand it seems creepy and uncomfortable.  After all it's human skin...

But on the other hand it makes sense, considering just how resilient, strong and flexible skin really can be.

But this?



Perhaps not the best marketing choice....

The skin itself is anchored on the robot analogously to the way it is anchored on people or animals.  It stretches, it flexes, and it looks slimey.

From: NewScientist: Smiling robot face is made from living human skin cells
 

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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.

Michio Kawai at Harvard University and his colleagues call these ligament equivalents “perforation-type anchors” because they were created by perforating the robot’s resin base and allowing tiny v-shaped cavities to fill with living tissue. This, in turn, helps the robot skin stay in place.

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Not sure if I'm exactly eager to see a robot with human skin...

[midicon]

Human skin is quite fragile and susceptible to damage. I can't see it being anything more than a cosmetic thing at the moment. Perhaps that's the aim.

It could also be a first step towards AI becoming sentient in a real sense.

[Nerb]

Until it has the ability to repair itself from within it's just wrapping paper really isn't it?

[BeyondKnowledge]

There was an episode of Dr. Who where the robots looked like robots because humans found that if they looked too much like humans they were too creepy to interact with.

As mantioned above, for now it is just a fragile wrapping. I think it might even promote rust.

I remember reading about a self healing silicone a while ago. It would stick back to itself when cut. That would probably work better.

[Coop]

One step closer to a perfect love bot.

[DontTreadOnMe]

I'm not really sure how to 'read' this.

On the one hand it seems creepy and uncomfortable.  After all it's human skin...

But on the other hand it makes sense, considering just how resilient, strong and flexible skin really can be.

But this?



Perhaps not the best marketing choice....

The skin itself is anchored on the robot analogously to the way it is anchored on people or animals.  It stretches, it flexes, and it looks slimey.

From: NewScientist: Smiling robot face is made from living human skin cells
 

---

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.

Michio Kawai at Harvard University and his colleagues call these ligament equivalents “perforation-type anchors” because they were created by perforating the robot’s resin base and allowing tiny v-shaped cavities to fill with living tissue. This, in turn, helps the robot skin stay in place.

---

Not sure if I'm exactly eager to see a robot with human skin...

Okay, that is officially creepy.  Halloween movie creepy.
And, like Nerb said, it's not really skin until it can repair and replenish itself.