Although materials researchers have made surfaces that borrow from the nanoscale design of gecko feet, the imitators» adhesive power fades after repeated attachment and removal (SN: 6/7/03, p. 356), and they don't work when wet. (sciencenews.org)
A new robotic gripping tool based on gecko feet can grab hold of floating objects in microgravity. (sciencenews.org)
Adhesives inspired by gecko feet — which use van der Waals forces to cling without feeling sticky (SN Online: 11/18/14)-- could fit the bill, says Mark Cutkosky of Stanford University, whose team has been designing such stickers for more than a decade. (sciencenews.org)