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The interactions between the gecko's feet and the climbing surface are stronger than simple surface area effects. On its feet, the gecko has many microscopic hairs, or setae (singular seta), that increase the Van der Waals forces - the distance-dependent attraction between atoms or molecules - between its feet and the surface.
Synthetic setae emulate the setae found on the toes of a gecko and scientific research in this area is driven towards the development of dry adhesives. Geckos have no difficulty mastering vertical walls and are apparently capable of adhering themselves to just about any surface.
The setae of a typical mature 70-gram (2.5-ounce) gecko would be capable of supporting a weight of 133 kilograms (293 pounds): [33] [34] each spatula could exert an adhesive force of 5 to 25 nN. [ 28 ] [ 35 ] The exact value of the adhesion force of a spatula varies with the surface energy of the substrate to which it adheres.
Nano tape, also called gecko tape is a synthetic adhesive tape consisting of arrays of carbon nanotubes transferred onto a backing material of flexible polymer tape. These arrays are called synthetic setae and mimic the nanostructures found on the toes of a gecko ; this is an example of biomimicry .
The pads on a gecko's feet are small hair-like processes that play a role in the animal's ability to cling to vertical surfaces. The micrometer-scale setae branch into nanometer-scale projections called spatulae. [6] A Tokay gecko's two front feet can sustain 20.1 N of force parallel to the surface using approximately 14,400 setae per mm 2 ...
This has been observed in geckos and spiders but also in the smooth adhesive pads of ants, bush-crickets and cockroaches. [3] Adhesive hairs of geckos are non-symmetrical and feature distally pointing setae and spatulae that are able to generate increased friction and adhesion when aligned with a proximal pull. [3]
In 2007, researchers from the University of Akron and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute announced they had developed a form of flexible, reusable gecko tape using carbon nanotubes to create microscopic synthetic setae and spatulae capable of supporting a shear stress of 32 N/cm 2, which is four times the strength of a gecko's foot.
Gecko climbing a glass surface. The ability of geckos – which can hang on a glass surface using only one toe – to climb on sheer surfaces has been for many years mainly attributed to the van der Waals forces between these surfaces and the spatulae, or microscopic projections, which cover the hair-like setae found on their footpads. [29] [30]