A gecko-inspired climbing system allows humans to scale walls in true superhero form.
The adhesive equipment allowed a Stanford University graduate student to climb a glass wall, MIT Review reported. The hand-sized sticky pads were modeled after gecko feet, which are incredibly adhesive but also allow for a quick and easy release.
Gecko toes are covered in "spatula-shaped" structures, called seatae, that increase surface space and create weak electrical attractions between themselves and the surface. Using this strategy allowed for the creation of adhesive equipment that does not require intense suction of chemical glue.
"Unfortunately 'spider suits' ignore some basic ergonomic issues. People have much greater strength in their legs than in their arms," Professor Mark Cutkosky, a biomimetic engineer at Stanford University who led the research told the Guardian. "Therefore we think one needs a system where the hands are used to gently attach and detach the adhesive tiles. A system of cables and links transfers the load to the feet."
The technique could be used in manufacturing equipment and in grippers used to manipulate huge solar panels, MIT Review reported. To make the climbing system the researchers used an adhesive on molded microwedges made up of a polymer material dubbed PDMS. This key material was attached to a flat hexagonal gripper which was backed with a spring that distributed the weight across the pad and absorbed the force created by the climbing movement. These novel gripping devices were attached to the hands and feet of a climber.
This month the team worked with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to test the system in zero gravity and found that it worked. This summer the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) stated they had created a gecko-inspired climbing system, but did not release details on how the feat was accomplished. The work is not described in a recent edition of the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
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