Slashdot Mirror
Gecko-Inspired Dry Adhesive Set For Space
AndreV writes "Biomimetic adhesives aren't new, but a PhD graduate in British Columbia has developed a new method of creating microscopic, mushroom-like plastic structures in order to produce a dry adhesive that mimics the stickiness of gecko feet—and is prepping his glue-free innovation for outer space. A research group at his university, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, is engineering a spider-like, sticky-footed climbing robot destined to explore Mars, and it is also developing reusable attaching systems for astronauts to use where magnetic and suction systems generally fail. In the future, he says, single-use versions could be used in any number of medical applications as well as for replacements for everyday sticky needs, such as Post-It notes and Scotch tape."
We all know that Geico is secretly behind this.
+1 for spider robot technology
If you RTFA you will see that this new adhesive is not based on the nano-scale properties of gecko feet, but is the first space adhesive that doubles as a delightful gecko-flavored paste in emergencies.
You know, I hate it when my fingers feel sticky, even if they really aren't "sticky" in that stuff that I pick up stays stuck. You touch the backside of a post-it, and then for a little while they are sticky afterward. Or you touch scotch tape, and same thing - the fingers are just tacky and it feels weird in a fingers-down-the-blackboard sort of way.
There is no way I'd want to be in Space and have to touch this stuff, and then not be able to get it off by washing my hands. I prefer to get my fingers sticky another way, thank you very much!
This post brought to you by your friendly neighborhood MBA.
It's obvious that suction wouldn't work in space, but why would magnetic stickers fail?
A "sticky-footed climbing robot destined to explore Mars" makes it sound like this thing may see use on the ground. I'm curious how they plan to deal with dust and debris collecting on the pads.
They say "dirt particles can easily fall off the edge of the fibres", but I don't understand how a solution like this can be selective about what it sticks to.
A spider monkey inspired car horn set for space? A webkit inspired grapling hook set for space? Oh, the joy of open source browsers.
For those that need a monetary reason to save the environment, this is a poster child. We can learn a huge amount of useful things from studying nature. If that nature is allowed to die out, then we will miss out on the hidden knowledge.
Think Deeply.
What sort of medical applications make use of post-it notes? Maybe it will hold an incision closed, but that floppy tag of paper is just too much for most prople to ignore.
Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
So easy, a caveman could do it!
You lucky motherfucker.
Prisencolinensinainciusol. Ol Rait!
Ever since some years ago we read on /. that they had discovered the secret behind geckos' amazing abilities, I've been waiting for practical applications of this in the form of gecko tape and the soon-to-follow gecko shoes and gloves.
Glad to see that they'll be using it in space soon, guess that means it'll only be a matter of time before I can get it at Home Depot. In the meantime, whenever I want something stuck to the wall, I just tie it to a gecko and then let the gecko do the sticking for me. Tough part is keeping them in one place, but ironically a little traditional glue does the job nicely. The other problem is I can only put things out of the reach of my cat...
The enemies of Democracy are
Bat adhesive, Gecko adhesive found to stick well in space.
Unix, an obscure operating system developed by bored researchers in an attempt to get a better game playing experience.
The next innovation required would be Gecko tongue to clean the dirty feet, else it won't go far.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
...save me 15% or more on car insurance if I switch to Gecko Tape from Scotch Tape?
Friends help you move...
REAL Friends help you move dead bodies... ^_^
Oh wait, never mind...
This dry adhesive can't possibly be worse than the time I accidentally super-glued my hand to my penis. Don't ask ... just, don't ask. All I'll say is that the only thing worse would be super-glue eyedrops.
Read the headline and thought, "By George! Mozilla is using the Gecko rendering engine in space now?!"
Is 'cold welding'. wikipedia has an article on it. Didn't know that you could weld without high heat. Oxides prevent it on our planet but in space satellites tend to weld themselves up.
A research group at his university, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, is engineering a spider-like, sticky-footed climbing robot destined to explore Mars
Aha! David Bowie was just a visionary...The Spiders of Mars are on their way!
-=Bang Bang=-
And of course NASA's first use for the product will be........ Toolbox handles
Next up, NASA is planning on trying to produce a way to mimic a gecko's ability to appeal to the American mass market sales channel to create actual funding for the space program.
so if suction cups, no matter the scale, work by decreasing the air pressure inside the cup to create a seal from the pressure outside the cup, how will they work in space? which to my knowledge has a lot less air pressure then earth?
"Luck is a tag given by the mediocre to account for the accomplishments of genius." -Heinlein
Do the current synthetic "gecko feet" self-clean like the real geckos?
Mars is probably quite a dusty place.
Am I the only one who thought at first glance the Mozilla Foundation was behind all this?
Really, wouldn't TFS be more worthwhile to read if it would make better use of obvious puns?
Sheesh ...
Pus, ear wax, snot, phlegm, and toe-jam. All readily available and natural.
"You can't really dust for vomit" --Nigel Tufnel
..engineering a spider-like, sticky-footed climbing robot destined to explore Mars
Sorry, but I saw one of these creatures at a stag party a coupla years ago - on film of course.
It was apparently wearing the obligatory black socks and a tool belt. Please don't ask about the negligée-wearing blonde
(Yes, this archaic ceremony is still observed by some of us older geeks.)
.
- aqk
F U
What if the feets break off, what happens to your lungs?
Ron Fearing's lab at UC Berkeley also does work on biomimetic materials such as synthetic gecko pads:
biomimetics lab
has a link to their self-cleaning gecko adhesive material on the front page.
Sorry about the prior post.
Self-Cleaning Gecko Adhesive (Sep. 2008)
First synthetic gecko adhesive which cleans itself during use, as the natural gecko does. After contamination by microspheres, the microfiber array loses all adhesion strength. After repeated contacts with clean glass, the microspheres are shed, and the fibers recover 30% of their original adhesion. The fibers have a non-adhesive default state, which encourages particle removal during contact.
Contact Self-Cleaning of Synthetic Gecko Adhesive, Langmuir 2008
Ron Fearing's lab at UC Berkeley also does work on biomimetic materials such as synthetic gecko pads:
his biomimetics lab
has a link to their self-cleaning gecko adhesive material on the front page.
Self-Cleaning Gecko Adhesive (Sep. 2008)
First synthetic gecko adhesive which cleans itself during use, as the natural gecko does. After contamination by microspheres, the microfiber array loses all adhesion strength. After repeated contacts with clean glass, the microspheres are shed, and the fibers recover 30% of their original adhesion. The fibers have a non-adhesive default state, which encourages particle removal during contact.
Contact Self-Cleaning of Synthetic Gecko Adhesive, Langmuir 2008