Skin, it does a robot good

Hang on to your Jimmy hats kids, human skin for robots has just been created in a lab somewhere in Japan, of course. OK, it's not real skin, rather, a 1-cm thick film of elastic silicone covered by a 0.2-mm thick textured layer of firm urethane -- a dermis and epidermis, if you will -- which 10 out of 12 lonely robotics professors swear feels like the real deal. The artificial skin was developed primarily for cosmetics testing in a partnership 'tween Kao Corporation and a research team from Keio University led by Takashi Maeno. Yeah, right, cosmetics. With work already underway to make robots detect their owner's sweat and racing pulse, well, we think it's pretty clear where this is all going, eh?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 7:36AM]

Is it just me or do they all look like porn stars?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 8:47AM]

Weak reporting. There is no science in this report. This is interesting, yes, but coulden't you have focused on the other applications of this not so new technology? Artificial skin can help interns develop better techniques during medical training. What ever the intended design of this "new" skin is, there are many applications of such in the science and medical realms.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 10:12AM]

It's a little wierd. But I guess, it's better than potential rape victims. It probobly will also promote a decrease in stds if people start really getting their groove on with robots and stop having multiple partners. But I think I prefer the real deal :)

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 11:39AM]

Fuc_ the robots, what about improve us humans, worn, burned, ragged, stretched, leather-looking sun baked, scared-up, dis-colored ugly skin. We're the one's who need "brand new" beautiful baby-soft even toned skin, not those fuc_ing robots!!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 12:33PM]

Geez that one on the far left looks like it could take a little something in the mouth.