Robot Skin So Real

If we want robots to live with us in our homes then they are going to have to do something about their creepy rubber skin.

(Ripliee getting comfortable)

Professor Takashi Maeno at Keio University has teamed up with the Japanese cosmetics company Kao Corporation to solve the problem of fake skin.

Their research identified the characteristics of skin that mattered the most when trying to mimic the real stuff.
This led to the development of a silicone skin that fooled 10 out of 12 people. The skin is a 1 cm thick film of silicone with a 0.2 mm thick textured surface layer. The surface texture is what gives it the natural feel.

While Kao cosmetics needed the skin to test their products, Dr. Maeno is hoping to gives robots a better chance of fittng in with humans.

Pink Tentacle

Realization of Human Skin-like Texture... (pdf)