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Gecko Feet Inspire Sticky Tape

Posted by michael on from the move-over-duct-tape dept.

Makarand writes "Geckos have the remarkable ability to climb the most smooth surfaces and hang from glass ceilings with a single toe. Their feet are covered with millions of nanoscopic keratin hairs that can exert an intermolecular force - called van der Waals force - producing an adhesive effect on surfaces they walk on. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon have been able to mimic the adhesive ability of Gecko feet with a synthetic material that could find applications in new types of vehicle tires or allowing robots to climb walls. The material is made by using a mould created by a lithographic process and consists of a flexibile and strong substrate covered with 100 million nanoscopic hair each centimetre square. It might take several more years before Gecko tape is made commercially available to the wanna-be Spiderman, but he will have to thank the Gecko for that, not the spider."

2 of 187 comments (clear)

  1. Sweet, velcro obsolete? by zakezuke · · Score: 5, Interesting

    While I have not studied the domestic gecho, I can already see an application releasing existing things we have from postit notes (you can't really clean them) to velcro. Not to speak of velvet padding based on the gecho material to help anchor something in the event of earthquake... this fall under the catagory of cool beans.

    Presently, with the exception of that 3m postit stuff, the only thing we have close to a reuseable adheasive that I know about is spray glue. Per the instructions on the can you apply, let dry, and it in theory stays sticky. As long as you don't mind running the risk of having green goo stuck to places. Double stick tape is also a current product i've used to mount stuff with the intent of having it removable. It's only a soso solution.

    I'd be hip to a gecho solution.

    --
    There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
  2. Re:But . . . by kiravuo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Tire design is not as easy, Gecko tires would most likely stick to dirt, not the road. It would be like braking on ball bearings.

    Unless you attach a lint roller on the top of each tire to pick up the dirt...

    Seriously, my rock climbing shoes use sticky rubber and if I walk on sand or dirt I have to clean the shoes before I climb.

    kiravuo