The seamless 3D tissue technology behind Elemental Lux™ is about to take on a very different
challenge: giving humanoid robots a better sense of touch.
Our sister company 3D Bio-Tissues (3DBT) has filed a priority patent application with the UK Intellectual
Property Office for a new tissue assembly method (application GB2622781.9, priority date 28 September
2026).
It is the same monolithic, stitchless technology we use to create Elemental Lux™ for our luxury fashion
partners. The new application also describes how it could form a seamless outer skin for robot hands
and fingers.
Why robot hands need a better skin
Humanoid robots are moving from the lab into real-world use, and their hands have become one of the
toughest engineering problems to solve.
Most robot hands today are covered in synthetic silicone or several pieces of rubber glued together.
With constant use, those glued seams can split. The coverings can also stop fingers bending freely, and
their bulk dulls the signals reaching the touch sensors underneath. It is a problem leather craftspeople
would recognise: seams are often where materials fail first.
One piece, no seams
The answer comes from the same thinking behind Elemental Lux™: mould the material as one
continuous piece, shaped in 3D, with no stitching or glue. For robot hands, it is designed to offer three
advantages:
- Tough where it counts, thin where it bends. Hard-wearing, footwear-grade material over the
fingertips blends smoothly into an ultra-thin 0.3 mm layer over the joints, so fingers move
freely. - A truer sense of touch. Made from natural collagen, the same building block as leather, it is
designed to pass contact forces through to the sensors below without the stiffness of heavy
rubber. - Gentle to make. Unlike synthetic rubbers that need high-temperature curing, the material forms
at body-like temperatures (below 40°C), protecting delicate components.
What this means for Elemental Lux™
Our focus remains firmly on luxury. Elemental Lux™ is in partner-funded evaluation programmes with two leading global luxury fashion houses, with tanning trials under way and artisan prototyping planned for the first half of 2027.
The robotics application is being led by 3DBT, which plans to develop it with robotics manufacturers through partner-funded joint development agreements. For us, it is strong validation of the technology at the heart of our material. A platform tough enough for robot fingertips and fine enough for flexible joints is one we are proud to be bringing to luxury leather goods.
A word from leadership
Dr Che Connon, Chief Executive Officer of our parent company BSF Enterprise PLC, said:
“This priority patent filing demonstrates the sheer versatility of 3D Bio-Tissues’ platform.
The exact same monolithic, stitchless 3D tissue architecture that we are currently
executing under funded commercial programmes with global luxury fashion houses via
Lab-Grown Leather translates directly into solving the most demanding component
challenge in modern humanoid robotics.”
From the atelier to advanced robotics, it is exciting to see how far the science behind Elemental Lux™
can reach. We look forward to sharing more as our luxury programmes progress.
Images used strictly for illustrative purposes only; depicts design concept and not an
existing commercial product.
