Scientists Developing Commercially Viable Synthetic Gecko

Gordon from Seattle writes to mention a CNN article about a new way to hang out. A British aerospace team is working on a super-sticky substance they're calling "Synthetic Gecko". It mimics the hairs on a gecko's foot, and may eventually be developed as a reusable adhesive. From the article: "Each of the microscopic setae on a gecko's foot has a mushroom shaped cap on the end, less than one-thousandth of a millimeter across. This ensures that the gecko's foot is in very close contact with the surface beneath. The cumulative attractive force, called van der Waals force, of these setae allows the lizard to scurry up walls and ceilings, and even hang from polished glass surfaces. In 2003 scientists at the University of Manchester produced a one centimeter patch of 'gecko tape,' but neither the University of Manchester nor University of California teams managed to produce the material in a greater quantity, unlike Haq and Sargent, who have already tested areas larger than 10 centimeters-squared."

Comments

Ah yes, Velcro Animal research of 40 years ago.

[tulsaoc3guy]

This story is reminiscent of the intrepid discoverers of the elusive Velcro animal of 40 years ago.

Surface Dust

[camperdave]

Every surface outside of a clean room is coated with dust. Unless there is some cleaning mechanism, this will clog with dust and become non-sticky. Geckos probably lick their feet clean every once in a while, or have some other bio-mechanism to decontaminate their feet. How will this syntha-gecko sticky pad keep clean?

Re:Surface Dust

[Whiney Mac Fanboy]

Geckos probably lick their feet clean every once in a while, or have some other bio-mechanism to decontaminate their feet.

According to this science news article, gecko feet are self cleaning. It's one of the properties that makes synthetic gecko adhesive so attractive.

Re:Surface Dust

[Anonymous Coward]

dust, sand, small sticks, etc. don't have enough surface area to generate enough Van der Waals force to effectively stick to the tape. this is why gecko's don't need to "lick there feet" to keep them from getting clogged with dust

Re:Ah yes, Velcro Animal research of 40 years ago.

[heinousjay]

We're lucky they found it before it was hunted to extinction by the naugabeast.

all true

[deevnil]

I've seen a lizard leap onto a pane of glass and scurry up - almost gave up the hunt but I didn't want it freaking me out in the middle of the night. They're as sticky as that protective film that people never remove from the plastic faceplates on radios /and/ they change colors, formidable pests. If only we could crack the secrets of lizard technology.. Cars that run on flies with tires that could adhere to any surface...

New Synthetic Gecko

[Anonymous Coward]

Tastes just like real gecko!

3M has similar... Greptile

[Tmack]

As the subject states, Ive had some cycling gloves with matching bar tape for several years now with similar tech... 3M makes the stuff called Greptile, thats basically a material with a bunch of tiny hair like things on one side. When used with a similar material on whatever you want to grip, its almost like having velcro, but being able to let go with out having to pull it apart. It was designed along the same lines as well, hence the name:

Greptile

Worked pretty well, and even improved the grip between the gloves and stuff that didn't have the material on it. Only problem was the haird tend to wear out/fall off over time, so now those gloves have a few bald spots where the rubberish material has worn through and they aren't nearly as grippy

Tm

DONT DO IT!

[pablo_max]

Before you even try...Do NOT use this to masturbate!!! Seriously, you WILL regret it.