 Those tie-downs are made of elastin and collagen. They're essentially ligaments. The end result isn't something resembling a young and brawny Arnold Schwarzenegger, but the skin more easily moved with the robot's movements, unlike a synthetic covering. And if it did tear, it healed itself. The researchers say they'll spend years learning about the applications for these techniques, but it could be useful to learn things about aging or plastic and reconstructive surgery.