Scientists create a face for robots out of 'cultured human cells' and it's something that I wish I could unsee now

HardwareScientists create a face for robots out of ‘cultured human cells’ and it’s something that I wish I could unsee nowWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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Smiling robot face is made from living human skin cells - YouTubeWatch On

Smiling robot face is made from living human skin cells - YouTube

Few stories on the endeavours of scientists have elicited such a unanimous and unequivocal response from the PC Gamer hardware team as this one.New Scientist(viaHot Hardware) has reported on thework of a team of bioengineersat Harvard University, in which they’ve managed to create a “cultured mix of human skin cells grown in a collagen scaffold and placed on top of a 3D-printed resin base.”

Sounds great, yes? Research into artificial flesh and skin could do wonders for those with serious injuries and the like. However, the goal of this particular team is to make robots appear more human-like and make them more approachable and friendly. I’d say that while not as important as repairing major burns or wounds, human-like robots are perhaps something worthy of aiming for.

Leaving aside the nightmare-inducing robot ‘faces’, there’s some really good science going on behind all of this and it’s hard not to be impressed with what the team has done. If artificial skin and flesh can be perfected, then it’s not just the world of surgery that can benefit but also cosmetics and pharmaceutical research into drugs administered via the skin.

At the moment, mechanical actuators were required to make the face ‘smile’ but the authors of the research paper behind the study write that “substituting [them] with cultured muscle tissue presents an intriguing prospect in the realization of a higher degree of biomimetics.”

“Examining the correlation between facial muscle contractions and resulting facial expression can offer insights into the physiological aspects of emotion, leading to new exploration in the treatment of diseases, such as facial paralysis surgery.”

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I’m all for that kind of progress but I do prefer my robots to be distinctly robot-like. In a world of deep fakes and generative AI, let’s have at least one technological advancement not masquerade as a fellow human being, yes? I mean, who wants to live in a world where James Cameron is no mere filmmaker but a genuine prophet of the future?

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