Dry glue is a method of adhesion based upon the naturally occurring adaptations of the feet of geckos, which allow them to climb sheer surfaces, and even glass walls.
Background
A gecko can hang on a glass surface using only one toe. This ability of geckos has been attributed to van der Waals force,[1][2] although a more recent study suggests that water molecules of roughly monolayer thickness (present on virtually all natural surfaces) also play a role.[3]
Developments
University of Akron and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Researchers announced in a paper published in the June 18–22, 2007 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that using this technique they have created a synthetic “gecko tape” with four times the sticking power of a natural gecko foot.[4] Particularly effective has been a checkerboard carpet of this material, which can be peeled and re-adhered repeatedly without weakening.[5][6][7] The material is made of columns of carbon nanotubes rooted in pieces of flexible polymer. The nanotubes were grown on a silicon base and then transferred to the polymer to provide a flexible base, similar to a gecko's foot. When dried, the polymer holds the silicon base, which in turn, holds the nanotubes.[citation needed]
Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon University
In 2006, researchers at Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon University developed a gecko-like robot which uses synthetic setae to mount walls.[8]
Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta
On October 9, 2008, the discovery of a new type of dry glue designed to mimic gecko feet was announced. The glue is 10 times stickier than that of the gravity-defying lizards, and three times stickier than other gecko-inspired glues. Liming Dai of the University of Dayton said "It's the stickiest dry glue yet".[9]
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is also currently working on this technology to enable a soldier to scale a wall at .5 m/s[citation needed]. This project is named Z-Man. Experiments are currently under way to develop nano-adhesives using the van der Waals effect.[citation needed]
Nitto Denko and Nitto Analytical Techno Center
Japan's leading diversified materials manufacturer Nitto Denko Corporation (Nitto Denko) achieved the world's first-ever precise, contamination-free analysis service in the extreme, conventionally impossible -150-500 degrees Celsius range by utilizing its cutting-edge innovation, a biomimic dry adhesive or glue ("Gecko Tape") that has the similar adhesive strength as natural gecko's foot. It is the first time Gecko Tape is put into practical use. Specifically, it is utilized for fixing specimens to analytical equipment.
This revolutionary-new analysis service is offered by Nitto Analytical Techno Center Co., Ltd. (NTC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nitto Denko.[10]
See also
References
- ^ http://www.clemson.edu/newsroom/articles/2009/august/geckos.php5
- ^ Autumn, Kellar; Sitti, Metin; Liang, Yiching A.; Peattie, Anne M.; Hansen, Wendy R.; Sponberg, Simon; Kenny, Thomas W.; Fearing, Ronald; Israelachvili, Jacob N.; et al. (2002). "Evidence for van der Waals adhesion in gecko setae". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. 99 (19): 12252–12256. Bibcode:2002PNAS...9912252A. doi:10.1073/pnas.192252799. PMC 129431. PMID 12198184.
{{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in:|first9=(help) - ^ Huber, G.; Mantz, H.; Spolenak, R.; Mecke, K.; Jacobs, K.; Gorb, S. N.; Arzt, E. (2005). "Evidence for capillarity contributions to gecko adhesion from single spatula nanomechanical measurements". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. 102 (45): 16293–16296. Bibcode:2005PNAS..10216293H. doi:10.1073/pnas.0506328102. PMC 1283435. PMID 16260737.
- ^ Nanotube adhesive sticks better than a gecko's foot, PhysOrg.com retrieved 7 July 2007
- ^ http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=112442&org=NSF
- ^ Will Knight (2003-06-01). "Gecko-like robot scampers up the wall". New Scientist. Archived from the original on 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2009-05-02Template:Inconsistent citations
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) Cites Geim, A. K.; Dubonos, S. V.; Grigorieva, I. V.; Novoselov, K. S.; Zhukov, A. A.; Shapoval, S. Yu. (2003). "Microfabricated adhesive mimicking gecko foot-hair". Nature Materials. 2 (7): 461–463. Bibcode:2003NatMa...2..461G. doi:10.1038/nmat917. PMID 12776092. - ^ http://www.uakron.edu/news/articles/uamain_1293.php
- ^ "Gecko-like robot scampers up the wall" (Document). New Scientist. 2006-05-23. p. 29Template:Inconsistent citations
{{cite document}}: Unknown parameter|accessdate=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|archivedate=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|archiveurl=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|issue=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|url=ignored (help)CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ Gecko-like glue is said to be stickiest yet, "reuters.com" 8 October 2008
- ^ [1]