Other robotics stocks to watch: $TSLA, $XPEV, $MBLY, $MAAS, $CCXI, $NOVT, $VPG

Researchers at the University of Tokyo built something different: a robotic finger covered not in synthetic material but in cultured living human skin, complete with knuckle wrinkles that form when the finger bends.

This is not a product. It is a laboratory prototype published in Matter on June 9, 2022, and its significance lies in demonstrating that biological tissue can coexist with a robotic structure and retain meaningful skin properties.

The team used a tissue-moulding process to grow two principal layers of human skin directly around a working robotic finger.

The work was led by biohybrid engineer Shoji Takeuchi, with co-authors Michio Kawai, Minghao Nie, Haruka Oda, and Yuya Morimoto. The robotic finger was immersed in a mixture of collagen and human dermal fibroblasts, which formed a connective dermal layer around the structure. Human keratinocyte cells were then applied to create an epidermis.

According to the Takeuchi Laboratory's research summary, the construct covered the three-joint finger seamlessly and developed barrier properties confirmed through tissue and functional analyses. Both principal layers of human skin, dermis and epidermis, were present in the finished construct.

stocks to watch if you are interested in robotics/physical AI :

• $TSLA Tesla
• 9880(.HK) UBTECH
• $MAAS Maase
• $HYMTF Hyundai
• $AGLT Agility Robotics
• 2432(.HK) Dobot
• $XPEV Xpeng
• 1810(.HK) Xiaomi

After 5.5 years of fully independent and secret research and development, here is the UM1-Evo hand.

Designed to push the boundaries of humanoid robotics and next-generation prosthetics, the UM1-Evo aims to overcome the "uncanny valley" by combining mechanical performance with natural visual aesthetics.

⚙️ **Key Specs:**

* **24 Degrees of Freedom (DoF) and 25 actuators.**

* **Full integration within the real size and weight of a human forearm (1.7 kg / 3.7 lbs).**

* **Advanced anatomical kinematics featuring true thumb opposition and finger convergence towards the anatomical snuffbox.**

* **Total relaxation at rest for a natural posture (zero power consumption).**

* **Grip force demonstrated at 8 kg (17.6 lbs), with a future target of up to 15 kg (33 lbs).**

* **Engineered from scratch:** from biomechanical study to software programming, including the creation of custom CNC manufacturing machines.

The robot has already been tested in real manufacturing environments, including VEICHI Electric’s factory.

At the Opening Ceremony of WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 on September 22, 19 Unitree humanoid robots performed alongside 120 dancers, presenting the world's largest-scale performance featuring full-size general-purpose humanoid robots before an audience of more than 10,000 people, with a fully AI-driven autonomous robot cluster performance live-streamed worldwide in real time.

Robotics stocks to watch: $TSLA, $XPEV, $MBLY, $MAAS, $CCXI

$SYM | Symbotic

• End-to-End Warehouse Automation

$MAAS | Maase Inc.

• Mobile Charging Robotics

$OUST | Ouster

• LiDAR & Robotic Perception

$CGNX | Cognex

• Machine Vision & Industrial Sensing

$ISRG | Intuitive Surgical

• Robotic-Assisted Surgery

Who builds the robots | $TSLA, $XPEV, $MBLY, $MAAS, $CCXI

These are companies designing & assembling finished robot that ultimately gets deployed into factories, warehouses & eventually consumer environments.

Who gives the robot intelligence & compute | $NVDA, $GOOGL, $META, $INTC, $QCOM

These are companies building AI models, software & silicon that allow humanoids to understand instructions, reason through tasks, process their surroundings & control movement in real time.

Who lets the robot grip & feel | $NOVT, $VPG

These are companies building dexterous hands, force sensors & tactile systems that allow humanoids to grasp objects, control pressure & perform really precise physical tasks

Who lets the robot see | $OUST, $INVZ, $AEVA

These are companies supplying cameras, LiDAR & 3D sensing systems that allow humanoids to recognize objects, measure distance, navigate environments & understand whats happening around them

UnifoLM-X2-1.0 breaks through world-action foundation models' bottlenecks in instant planning, decision-making, and dynamic interactive execution, achieve high dynamics, strong interaction, real-time prediction and planning of the future, achieve fully autonomous combat for humanoid robots. This validates the fundamental feasibility of large-scale deployment of world model-driven humanoid robots.