Speaker
Description
Developing robots covered with living skin tissue can significantly enhance their huamn-like apperance, barrier function, and regenerative capacity. However, maintaining viable skin tissues in air-exposed environments requires a robust internal nutrient supply system. In this study, we propose a method for constructing perfusable skin-covered robotic structures by integrating microchannels into 3D-printed robotic skeletons. These channels serve as internal nutrient delivery pathways for skin tissues, enabling sustained viability and functionality in air.
The robotic finger is designed with microchannels and fabricated using 3D-printers. Human dermal fibroblasts suspended in collagen solution were injected around the skeletal structure, forming the dermal tissue on top of the microchannels. Subsequently, epidermal layers were established by seeding keratinocytes on the dermal surface. The resulting biohybrid structure was cultured in air with nutrient solution perfused through the embedded channels.
Experimental evaluations showed that the formation of a uniformly thick epidermal layer across the tissue. Functional assessments demonstrated significantly improved barrier properties (higher TEER values) and reduced moisture loss compared to conventional static cultures. Also, we demonstrate the functional integration of this biohybrid skin into flexible robotic hands, successfully achieving finger bending through wire-driven actuation, confirming practical applications in advanced robotic systems. This approach highlights a significant step toward durable, functional, skin-covered robotics for diverse biomedical and technological applications.
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