gecko – BioQuakes

Have you ever seen a gecko or lizard on a vertical 90 degree surface, and wondered how they are able to stick to the wall? In fact, it is not because of any type of gluey substance or sticky secretions. According to a recent article, biologists have been able to figure out exactly how a gecko can stay on a wall without slipping. Scientists have even been able to utilize this discovery and have invented “Geckskin”, a flash card sized pad that can hold up to 700 pounds on a vertical surface.

Doctoral Alfred Crosby at UMass Amherst commented that a gecko’s feet can attach and detach from a surface with ease without any residual sticky material being left over. Properties such as high capacity, reversibility, and dry adhesion that geckos use to adhere to surfaces, allow for a wider range of ideas for synthetic materials with similar traits of gecko feet. Moreover, Crosby says that Geckskin uses many of these properties to achieve a drastic result; Geckskin can hold up to 700 pounds while only being the size of an index card. This is amazing considering the fact that this small piece of synthetic material can hold up to the equivalent of seventeen 42 inch flat screen TVs on a flat vertical surface. Although having impressive adhesive ability, Geckskin can also be used a series of times without losing its overall effectiveness and stickiness.

Geckos were once thought to get their amazing adhesive properties only from microscopic hairs only their feet called setae. However, much of the gecko’s “stickiness” comes from other complexities on the foot such as specialized bones, tendons, and skin that work along with setae in order to produce those viscous properties. Geckskin combines all of these complexities to form a synthetic tendon made out of stiff fabric and a special weave in order to maximize surface area and contact. Generally, Geckskin be made relatively cheaply and can have many different uses in the home or in the work place. What uses for Geckskin can you think of?

Photo Credit: dirk huijssoon flickr

Have you ever wished you could walk on walls? Ever wished you could get your new plasma TV on the wall and be able to easily move it later? Well, now you can do both of those things. Using the gecko‘s feet as a model, scientists were able to replicate the adhesive mechanism that geckos use to get around.

The gecko’s feet can stick to almost any smooth surface whether it be vertical, horizontal, slanted, or curved. In addition, they never leave any sticky residue behind and never have trouble moving. The ability to put things, particularly heavy things, on walls and easily remove them later without any damage is something that everyone would like to be able to do. Scientists researched the intricate mechanisms in the geckos feet to determine how the gecko can firmly stick to smooth surfaces and move so easily. They determined that it was a combination of the pads on the gecko’s feet along with the arrangement of tendons and muscles in the feet. This new idea allowed scientists to develop an adhesive, “Geckskin”, that could stick to a smooth surface, hold 700 pounds, and be easily removed. This new adhesive is still being perfected but soon you could actually be able to walk on walls, just like the gecko.

BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Tag: gecko

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