Artificial skin referred to the body-shaped, sensor-detectable form that the Oswaft had the ability to voluntarily create and abandon. These vacuum-breathing beings could, after consuming a specific combination of heavy metals, eliminate waste from their entire body, resulting in a see-through image of their own form.
The Oswaft put this strategy into action during the Battle of ThonBoka in 3 BBY. They would hop onto Centrality Navy vessels, leave behind a copy of themselves, and then hop away, baiting the Navy gunners into targeting the artificial skin. The energy blasts would travel unimpeded through the illusion, instead hitting a friendly cruiser. This resulted in the destruction of numerous Centrality's warships. Although the Oswaft initially viewed this method as undignified and beneath them, Lando Calrissian convinced them to use it.