io9
Soon we'll have special gloves and shoes that allow us to climb smooth, vertical surfaces — and even walk across ceilings. A team of researchers at UC Berkeley has created a plastic microfiber that imitates the "stickiness" of gecko feet, which are covered in tiny hairs that attach to smooth surfaces. Already, the researchers are predicting they'll be able to walk robots across the ceiling using their microfibers, and humans could be next.
A release describing the new microfiber explains:
Taking a cue from the millions of hairs covering a gecko's toes, researchers squeezed 42 million hard plastic microfibers onto each square centimeter of material and loaded it with various weights. They found that on a smooth, clean, vertical surface, two square centimeters of the synthetic adhesive could hold 400 grams (0.88 pounds). At the same time, the adhesive easily lifts off with minimal force and no residue . . . Previous research on gecko-like adhesives has focused on the strength of the adhesion . . . However, that the ease of attachment and detachment are equally important when developing a material that can practically be used for scaling vertical walls and ceilings.Ah, perfect for scaling those mirror-skinned buildings that are ultrasmooth.What sets this new gecko-inspired adhesive apart from the others created thus far is that it is directional, only "sticking" when it slides along a smooth surface, not when it is pressed down. "This difference is critical because if you're climbing up vertical surfaces, you can't afford to use a lot of energy pressing down into the surface to stick," said [UC Berkeley EECS professor Ron] Fearing. "Using force to attach also requires force to detach. A gecko running uphill may be attaching and detaching its feet 20 times a second, so it'd get very tired if it had to work hard to pull its feet off at every step." The microfibers, made of polypropylene, are 20 microns long, or one-fifth the thickness of a sheet of paper, with a diameter of 0.6 microns, or one-hundredth the diameter of a human hair.
New Adhesive Mimics Gecko Toe Hairs [Eurekalert]
Comments
that's amazing but is there a window that will hold a 300 pound man?
And the Spider-Man wannabes are all wetting themselves in anticipation.
@demonwolf: I'm not even sure if there's a window that'll hold a hundred-pound man.
Isn't part of what makes it easy for geckos and spiders to stick to things the fact that they all weigh two ounces?
@NefariousNewt: Damn. Hit it right on the nose. I peed a little.
Learned about it a few years ago. I'm surprised at the progress.
Why don't we make outfits for kids made out of this material? They're small enough.
Then they can clean my windows and spy on my neighbours and clean my neighbours windows.
Also, this will probably improve my crystal ball juggling skillz.
You could climb the viewing window at an aquarium even if you are very heavy, the glass is incredibly thick and strong to hold those tons of water.
i always knew my incredible rock climbing skills and mere 129 pounds body weight would come in handy on day.....I gonna be a super hero..
This new mode of travel will surely help me save on car insurance!
//low-hangin' fruit there, mod down.
Ahh, but will the robot be able to learn to lick the pads, to keep them clean?
My dream of buying the same gear as my D&D character can finally come true.
If using these helped you to put up barriers around weighing equipment made of silicon could they not also then be said to be used to wall up glass scales?
What?
NFL receivers are going to be getting this stuff grafted on there hands.
The Window Washers' Union Chapter 315 does not approve.
@braak: Yes, once again, Annalee posts much more fiction than science. :(
Finally, an method of keeping my enemies pinned to a wall, like an entomologist's butterfly collection. Duct tape could only go so far.
This is the same exact explanation that most of the Spiderman series used for his wall crawling.
And to all the none-believers, most building glass is 6"+ thick, unlike the 1" or less thickness of house glass. You need it to be thick to withstand high altitude pressure.
Thinking like a skater- this would probably make some decent grip tape.
I met the guy that was working on this. He said you can't touch it with your bare hands or the oils on your skin will cover the hairs and make them more slippery. You need a very clean surface for it to work, so climbing walls isn't much of a possibility at this point.
Start a discussion:
Login with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?