ALT Scientists grew living human skin on a robot A robotic finger just got something incredibly human — **living skin.** Researchers at the University of Tokyo grew skin from human cells directly on a working robotic finger. The cells formed layers similar to real human skin, including a dermis and an outer epidermis. As the robot moved, the skin stretched and bent with it. Even more fascinating, it developed **natural-looking wrinkles around the joints.** Then came the real surprise. Researchers made a small cut in the artificial skin, and with the help of a collagen bandage, the living cells gradually repaired the wound in about a week. The technology still has a major challenge: the living skin must stay moist to keep the cells alive. But this could be an early step toward robots with more realistic skin, smarter prosthetics, and machines that interact with humans in surprisingly lifelike ways.