The ranks of wall-climbing robots are increasing in number. A team of Canadian engineers from Simon Fraser University have combined what they describe as gecko-inspired "fibrillar dry adhesives" with track wheels, to create a modular, tank-like robot that can scale walls and even transfer from horizontal to vertical surfaces with ease.

Whether it's glass, plastic, or painted steel — the researchers say their gecko tanks could one day become indispensable in applications ranging from security, to surveillance, to nuclear reactor maintenance.

Via IOP Science