Skin deep: How China’s scientists are putting colour into the complexions of ‘human’ robots
Mainland researchers today announce a potential solution to the problem of overly pale robotic ‘skin’ - the world’s first colour self-healing hydrogel
Ever wonder why human-like robots today invariably look pale-skinned?
It isn’t because of any bias – not on the scientists’ part, anyway. It’s just that robotic scientists have faced technical challenges in giving life-like skin a non-white tone.
In a paper today in PNAS, the official scientific journal of the prestigious US National Academy of Sciences, a team of mainland material researchers said they might have solved the problem of overly light robotic complexions with the creation of the world’s first self-healing hydrogel in colour.
Hydrogel is a polymer capable of absorbing a vast number of water molecules, giving it the same flexibility and strength as natural tissue. Some hydrogels can heal themselves by enclosing a “wound” after being torn apart, which is why they are regarded as an ideal material for making artificial muscle and skin.
Animals such as chameleons, butterflies and peacocks get their distinctive colour from pigment or periodic nanostructures in their skin or feathers that interact with light. In the past, hydrogel tended to lose its strength for pigment stain, and previous attempts to manipulate its chain-like molecular structure to promote colourisation failed to maintain the self-healing capability.