Scientists created a super-sticky and resilient adhesive inspired by the master climbing techniques of geckos.
Geckos rely on tiny hairs on the bottoms of their feet to climb walls and other vertical surfaces, and unlike man-made tape and other adhesives, this stickiness never wears off, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported. Researchers are now working on a material with tiny synthetic hairs that act as an adhesive when force is applied to them.
"This is how the gecko does it, by weighting its feet," said JPL engineer Aaron Parness.
The material is based on a concept called van der Waals forces, which are electric fields created when electrons orbiting the nuclei of atoms are not evenly spaced so there are both positive and negative sides to a neutral molecule. The positively charges side of the molecule attracts the negatively charged region, creating a stickiness that remain even under extreme conditions of temperature, radiation, and pressure.
"The grippers don't leave any residue and don't require a mating surface on the wall the way Velcro would," Parness said.
These incredible new grippers can withstand about 35 pounds of force and work in microgravity, meaning they could be used as "astronaut anchors" in space. Astronauts could use these adhesives to attach objects such as clipboards and photographs to spaceship walls.
Scientists are also in the process of testing the Lemur 3 climbing robot, which has gecko-inspired "feet" and can climb in simulated microgravity environments. This type of robot could perform inspections and even repairs on the exterior of a spacecraft.
"We might eventually grab satellites to repair them, service them, and we also could grab space garbage and try to clear it out of the way," Parness said.
The technology has been tested through NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate's Flight Opportunities Program.
WATCH:
