Japanese Scientists Make Robot Face 'Smile' with Lab-Grown Skin
2024-07-22
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1Japanese scientists have found a way to attach living skin tissue to robotic faces and make them "smile."
2This breakthrough could be helpful not only in robotics, but also in cosmetics and medicine.
3Researchers at the University of Tokyo started the process by growing human skin cells in the shape of a face.
4Then, they used attachments that are similar to the ligaments in a human to pull the tissue into a wide smile.
5Lead researcher Shoji Takeuchi is a professor at the University of Tokyo.
6He said the result is an important step towards building more life-like robots.
7Using the attachments, he said, "it became possible to manipulate living skin for the first time."
8The study about the smiling robot appeared last month in Cell Reports Physical Science.
9It represents 10 years of research by Takeuchi and his lab on how to best combine biological and artificial machines.
10Living tissue is better for this application than metals and plastics, Takeuchi said.
11He noted that brains and muscles are more efficient in use of energy and the skin can repair itself.
12In the future, the researchers aim to add more elements to the lab-grown skin, including a circulatory system and nerves.
13That could lead to safer testing methods for cosmetics and drugs absorbed, or taken in, through the skin.
14It could also produce more realistic and functional coverings for robots.
15The remaining issue is how people react to machines that appear almost lifelike, but do not look exactly like humans.
16"There's still a bit of that creepiness to it," Takeuchi said about the robot.
17He added, "I think that making robots out of the same materials as humans and having them show the same expressions might be one key to overcoming the uncanny valley."
18The "uncanny valley" is an idea that relates to how humans react to robots or other machines that act like humans.
19"Uncanny" is an adjective that means "being beyond what is normal or expected."
20Japanese robotics scientist Masahiro Mori published a work, Bukimi No Tani, or "Uncanny Valley" in 1970.
21It proposed how people would react to lifelike robots, or androids.
22Mori thought that at first, people would have positive feelings about robots that look a little bit like humans.
23But as robots got closer to being realistic human models, he believed those feelings would become more negative.
24Those negative feelings are the so-called low point, or "valley," in a chart that represents the relationship between the human-like appearance of robots and humans' feelings toward and acceptance of such robots.
25I'm Jill Robbins.
1Japanese scientists have found a way to attach living skin tissue to robotic faces and make them "smile." This breakthrough could be helpful not only in robotics, but also in cosmetics and medicine. 2Researchers at the University of Tokyo started the process by growing human skin cells in the shape of a face. Then, they used attachments that are similar to the ligaments in a human to pull the tissue into a wide smile. 3First step to other breakthroughs 4Lead researcher Shoji Takeuchi is a professor at the University of Tokyo. He said the result is an important step towards building more life-like robots. Using the attachments, he said, "it became possible to manipulate living skin for the first time." 5The study about the smiling robot appeared last month in Cell Reports Physical Science. It represents 10 years of research by Takeuchi and his lab on how to best combine biological and artificial machines. 6Living tissue is better for this application than metals and plastics, Takeuchi said. He noted that brains and muscles are more efficient in use of energy and the skin can repair itself. 7In the future, the researchers aim to add more elements to the lab-grown skin, including a circulatory system and nerves. That could lead to safer testing methods for cosmetics and drugs absorbed, or taken in, through the skin. 8It could also produce more realistic and functional coverings for robots. The remaining issue is how people react to machines that appear almost lifelike, but do not look exactly like humans. 9"There's still a bit of that creepiness to it," Takeuchi said about the robot. 10The uncanny valley 11He added, "I think that making robots out of the same materials as humans and having them show the same expressions might be one key to overcoming the uncanny valley." 12The "uncanny valley" is an idea that relates to how humans react to robots or other machines that act like humans. "Uncanny" is an adjective that means "being beyond what is normal or expected." 13Japanese robotics scientist Masahiro Mori published a work, Bukimi No Tani, or "Uncanny Valley" in 1970. It proposed how people would react to lifelike robots, or androids. 14Mori thought that at first, people would have positive feelings about robots that look a little bit like humans. But as robots got closer to being realistic human models, he believed those feelings would become more negative. 15Those negative feelings are the so-called low point, or "valley," in a chart that represents the relationship between the human-like appearance of robots and humans' feelings toward and acceptance of such robots. 16I'm Jill Robbins. 17Rocky Swift reported this story for Reuters. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English with additional information from the Brittancia Dictionary. 18______________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20cosmetic - n. a substance (such as a cream, lotion, or powder) that you put on your face or body to improve your appearance 21ligament - n. a tough piece of tissue in your body that holds bones together or keeps an organ in place 22eerie - adj. strange and mysterious 23manipulate - v. to move or control (something) with your hands or by using a machine 24circulatory - adj. of or relating to the circulation of blood through the body 25creepy - adj. producing a nervous shivery apprehension; annoyingly unpleasant 26affinity - n. an attraction to or liking for something 27uncanny valley - n. the unsettling feeling that comes when robots start to resemble humans a little too closely. 28positive - adj. thinking about the good qualities of someone or something 29negative- adj. thinking about the bad qualities of someone or something 30What do you think of this story? Write to us in the Comments Section.