Robot with living human skin glimpses into the bleak reality of mortality

A team of scientists have grown a smiling face from living human skin and placed it over a robot in what appears to be the first step in creating a real-life T-1000 from Terminator.

A group of researchers from Harvard University have taken a cultured mix of human skin cells grown in collagen and formed a face made of human skin. The face was then placed over a 3D-printed resin base, and according to reports, the skin contains what researchers are describing as the equivalent of the ligaments found in human and animal skin. These ligaments give our skin its durability, making it flexible, strong, and movable.

Michio Kawai at Harvard University designed these ligaments by perforating the aforementioned 3D-printed resin base, which allowed for extremely small V-shaped cavities to be filled with the living tissue. The living skin was then placed over a smiling robotic face that is only a few centimeters wide, with rods being connected to its base to enable movement. In one experiment the researchers made the robot smile for an entire month.

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The researchers found their work could have benefits for the cosmetic industry, as they were able to successfully replicate wrinkles in human skin, expressions, and more. Being able to test cosmetic products on lab-grown human skin could lead to discoveries of anti-aging products.

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