A study of the adhesive foot of the gecko: Translation of a publication by Franz Weitlaner

Abstract

In recent years, hundreds of scientific studies have been published regarding gecko-inspired adhesives. The primary reason for this increasing interest lies in the unique properties which are combined in the adhesive system of the gecko: this natural system can quickly and repeatedly adhere to different surface chemistry and roughness without the use of adhesion-mediating fluids. Although these properties seem to be inconspicuous at first, there is no man-made system currently available which successfully combines all of these properties and competes with the biological adhesive system. However, there are many applications which may benefit from an artificial adhesion system inspired by geckos, ranging from climbing robots and handling systems to biomedical patches and household objects.