Perforations on robot face help adhesion of engineered skin

Carried out at the University of Tokyo, the research could lead to other potential benefits for robotic platforms such as increased mobility, self-healing abilities, and embedded sensing capabilities. The team’s findings are detailed in Cell Reports Physical Science.

Taking inspiration from human skin ligaments, the team - led by Professor Shoji Takeuchi and his colleagues in the Biohybrid Systems Laboratory - added perforations into a robot face, which helped a layer of skin to adhere to it.

In a statement, Takeuchi said: “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 move with the mechanical components of the robot without tearing or peeling away.”

Previous methods to attach skin tissue to solid surfaces involved mini anchors or hooks, but these limited the kinds of surfaces that could receive skin coatings and could cause damage during motion.