Slashdot Mirror
Gecko-Inspired Tape Can Be Reused Thousands of Times
Zothecula writes "As is so often the case these days for those searching for a better way to stick stuff together, researchers from the Zoological Institute at the University of Kiel in Germany have turned to the biology of gravity-defying ceiling walkers, such as geckos and insects. These creatures served as inspiration for a new dry adhesive tape that not only boasts impressive bonding strength, but can also be attached and detached thousands of times without losing its adhesive properties."
I could probably save 15% on my dry adhesive bill by switching to this new tape.
In real life it will be covered in dust and hair and stick to that crap instead of your surface after a few removals.
They could use it to make something a little like Post It notes, only which actually stick to something for more than 7 seconds.
my spider-man suit will be complete!!!
All geckos will suddenly go extinct, and we'll see a "Scotch" brand van disappear into the night.
Ehh, nothing a good lick won't fix!
(Having had Geckos, I know that they actually do this quite a bit.)
No Comment.
The little hairs bind to other matter using Van Der Walls forces.
If water does not stick to the little hairs, then dust won't either.
excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
Walking on the ceiling is easy... so easy a caveman could do it.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
And every single time, it could save you a bunch on your car insurance!
And add another server to the pool at http://thereifixedit.failblog.org/
Ehh, nothing a good lick won't fix!
. . . or the tape will stick to your tongue. This sounds like "licking a flag pole in winter advice" . . .
(Having had Geckos, I know that they actually do this quite a bit.)
Yeah, but did they hobble around with their feet stuck to their tongues . . . ?
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
Three years ago, the story had much better pictures. Alas, Oct 2008 was not a great time to raise capital. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=sticky-situation-gecko-toe-adhesive
Gently reply
You had dreams about not being able to walk? :)
"None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
Gecko feet are not sticky at all. The little hairs bind to other matter using Van Der Walls forces.
In other words, they are sticky.
You jest, but if this thing works as good as advertised, then it could revolutionize climbing gear. Spiderman could be a reality.
"Van der Waals" force will stick you "on der walls". Easy mistake to make,
It isn't enough to just plant their foot against something for it to stick, the orientation and they way they slide the foot is what controls the adhesion. It has something to do with how all the tiny hairs splay out or come together based on how the foot is pulled across the surface. If their feet just stuck to things indiscriminately it wouldn't be a very useful form of locomotion.
Account -> Discussions -> Disable Sigs
He lives in Australia, you insensitive clod!
So it's a tape that uses too much RAM?
That's how we explain it to the people on the short bus.
Put your helmet back on and sit down.
This post comes with a double-your-money-back guarantee!
Any offense taken to this post is at your sole discretion.
No, velcro works by having tiny hooks grab fibers of cloth. Gecko feet (like this is patterned after) use van der Waals forces.
Free Martian Whores!