Japanese researchers develop 'living skin' for robotic finger

Robots may just look more human-like in the future as Japanese researchers developed a "living skin" for a robotic finger.

Developed at University of Tokyo's Biohybrid Systems Laboratory, the skin contains living cells which allows it to heal by itself, repel water, and get wrinkled, just like human skin.

"The presence of living cells means that the robot can be given functions unique to living cells or biomaterials," said Prof. Shoji Takeuchi.

"The wonderful thing about biomaterials is that they have various capabilities, such as self-repair, splitting, proliferation, highly sensitive to sensing, and metabolism," he added.

Researchers aim to add more features for the robotic skin such as nerves and blood vessels, so it can have a nervous and vascular systems.

"The skin itself could be used for transplantation, or use the skin as a model to develop cosmetics or drugs, or for leather products that do not require harming the animals or to cover prosthetic limbs and legs," Takeuchi said.

—MGP, GMA News