Japanese Scientists Create Smiling Robots Using Living Skin

In July 2024, Minghao Nie from the University of Tokyo showcased a face mold covered in human skin tissue as part of groundbreaking research. This work aims to enhance the realism of robotic faces by incorporating living tissue that can express emotions, such as smiling.

Overview of the Research

University of Tokyo researchers have come up with a way to attach live skin cells to robots, which will allow them to make facial expressions. Lead researcher Shoji Takeuchi talked about how important it is to combine biological materials with robots, which is a key step toward making machines that look and act like people.

Key Developments

• Making a Smiling Robot: The team grew human skin cells that were made into a face and attached with ligament-like structures to make a smile.
• Publication of the Study: The results were published in Cell Reports Physical Science, which compiled ten years of study on combining biological and artificial systems.

Benefits of Living Tissue

Living skin is better than common things like metals and plastics in several ways:

• Energy Efficiency: Biological cells can work as efficiently as muscles and the brain.
• Self-Repair: Skin naturally has the power to heal, which could be useful for robotics uses that need to last.

Future Prospects

The experts want to improve the skin grown in the lab by:

• Circulatory Systems: To help foods and air get to all parts of the skin.
• Nerves: To allow for more complex reactions and interactions, which could make robots more useful.

About Minghao Nie

Minghao Nie is a notable figure in the field of computer science, particularly in artificial intelligence and machine learning. He has made a big difference in the field of natural language processing. Nie has worked with several academic institutions, focusing on algorithmic study. He is known for writing in reputable journals that affect how language is used. He also thinks about the moral issues that AI technology raises. His work combines data privacy and user engagement to help computers better understand the subtleties of human language.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2024

Category: Science & Technology Current Affairs