How can geckos crawling on the walls and even on slippery surfaces such as glass and how much power it has, so here's a thought of polymers and biological researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst to learn it for 20 years.
The results of these studies was the gecko could hold 350 pounds of load on a flat wall. "Gecko feet can stick and off easily without the rest of the sticky glue on the surface," said Ducan Irschick, researchers are studying how geckos stick and slither, Irschick, along with teammate Michael Bartlett, said the ability to stick, flipping, weight-bearing, and the adhesion of gecko feet opens the possibility of applying the same capabilities in a variety of synthetic materials. "Various combinations of these capabilities have never been found before," said Bartlett.
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| Gecko foot on glass. (Picture from: http://news.dice.com/) |
The researchers say the glue surface area at the foot of a gecko about 16 inches square and can hold a maximum weight of about 700 pounds on a flat surface such as glass.
Gecko feet have incredible 'dry adhesion' - the adhesive force is enough to carry a 9lb weight, say the scientists, despite the fact the lizards weigh just a few ounces.
The technology was described in a University of Massachusetts press release:
The key innovation by Bartlett and colleagues was to create an integrated adhesive with a soft pad woven into a stiff fabric, which allows the pad to “drape” over a surface to maximize contact. Further, as in natural gecko feet, the skin is woven into a synthetic “tendon,” yielding a design that plays a key role in maintaining stiffness and rotational freedom.
The study was partially funded with a grant from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) through a subcontract to Draper Laboratories and through funding from the University of Massachusetts. The full results of the study can be seen in Advanced Materials. *** [AFP | SRI | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 010321012]
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