Billionaire Bill Gates has developed a method of using living human skin cells to create a “synthetic smiling face” for robots powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
The synthetic skin is created using human cells and ligaments and allows robots to show “emotion” through facial expressions.
The creepy smiling face was developed by Bill Gates-funded scientists at Harvard University.
Scientists are using living human skin as a building material to create faces for robots that would enable them to show emotions.
Unnerving video footage shows the skin attached to a robot prototype forcing a pink lifeless blob with eyes to suddenly light up with a smile.
WATCH:
NewScientist.com has more:
“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.”
Apart from looking creepy, Gates’s scientists say aside from it being fitted to robotic skeletons, the skin-like texture could also be beneficial to the cosmetics industry.
According to the the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the skin is not only soft but can repair itself if damaged, by copying human skin ligaments.
The team had previously attempted to use mini-hooks as anchors but they ripped the experimental skin when the robot moved.
To recreate the stretchy ligaments in human skin, they drilled small holes into the robot’s face and used a collagen gel to secure the lab-engineered skin on top.
Prof Shoji Takeuchi, the lead researcher, said: “By mimicking human skin-ligament structures and by using specially made V-shaped perforations in solid materials, we found a way to bind the 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.”
Prof Takeuchi, a pioneering researcher in the field of biohybrid robotics, hopes to improve the realness and thickness of the skin by adding sweat glands, pores, blood vessels, fat, and nerves.
Another important challenge, he explained, will be “creating humanlike expressions by integrating sophisticated actuators, or muscles, inside the robot.”
His lab has already created robots capable of walking using biological muscle tissue, 3D lab-grown meat, and self-healing artificial skin.
Earlier this month, EXROBOTS, a Chinese company, revealed their hyper-realistic humanoid robot heads that can mimic facial expressions and emotions.
Complete with smiles, beards, and the ability to stick out their tongues, their creators say the humanoids are among the most advanced in the world.
This comes after the World Economic Forum announced earlier this week that they plan to replace 99% of the human race with AI-powered robots.
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