Gecko Feet Inspire a New Adhesive
The latest innovation inspired by
biomimicry is an adhesive inspired by the power of gecko feet. Tenants who have lost their security deposits because of holes left in apartment walls will be thrilled to learn that this invention has the ability to support up to 700 pounds on a smooth wall.
A group of polymer scientists and biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed what they call “Geckskin.” Anyone enjoying the sight of geckos deftly running up and down walls without slipping will appreciate the strength of this adhesive without any sticky residue.
Among the researchers is Duncan Irschick, a functional morphologist who has studied the antics of geckos for more than 20 years. He noted that geckos land and take off surfaces with upmost ease, without leaving any residue behind. Working with PhD candidate Michael Bartlett and professor Alfred Crosby, the team set out to develop synthetic materials to allow heavy objects like televisions to be affixed and then be removed from walls. The result is a device that is 16 inches square and can hold up to 700 pounds.
Previous studies of gecko feet and their amazing capabilities focused on setae, microscopic hairs on their toes. But the Amherst team realized that the whole complexity of the gecko foot must be taken into account when creating a device for everyday consumer and industrial use. The outcome was an adhesive embedded with a soft pad integrated into a stiff fabric that drapes over a surface for maximum adhesion. The material uses polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a silicon-based organic polymer that is similar to an agent in a bevy of products from Silly Putty to Chicken McNuggets.
So before we rage into a debate over safety, the important lesson coming out of Amherst is how once again, biomimicry is changing how scientists, product designers architects and even military researchers are changing the world.
And never mind the fact that the installation of those ridiculously sized televisions and clunky bookshelves is about to get easier.
You can follow Leon Kaye on Twitter. He is still on the fence whether Dubai’s Burj Khalifa is a shining example of biomimicry.
Published earlier today on Triple Pundit.
Photo courtesy University of Massachusetts Amherst.
About The Author
Leon Kaye
Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division,
GGP Media.
Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event.
His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
He writes for San Francisco-based
Triple Pundit,
Inhabitat and now
The Guardian, for which he writes about corporate responsibility, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's
Architect Magazine.
Leon works out of Fresno and Silicon Valley, California, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 60 countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.
The latest innovation inspired by biomimicry is an adhesive inspired by the power of gecko feet. Tenants who have lost their security deposits because of holes left in apartment walls will be thrilled to learn that this invention has the ability to support up to 700 pounds on a smooth wall.
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