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posted by Fnord666 on Saturday August 29 2020, @06:54AM   Printer-friendly
from the spider-man dept.

Low-cost, fly footpad-like adhesive structure capable of repeated attachment/detachment:

NIMS, HUE and HUSM have developed a method of easily and cheaply producing an adhesive structure capable of repeated attachment and detachment. The design of this structure was inspired by the adhesive spatula-shaped hairs (setae) found on the footpads of flies, while the method of producing it was hinted at by seta formation in fly pupae. These environmentally sound technologies could potentially contribute to a more sustainable society.

[...] This research group focused on biological adhesive structures (e.g., insect footpads) known to form in an energy efficient manner at room temperature. The group developed adhesive structures and efficient methods of creating them by mimicking biological processes. In this research project, the group specifically focused on the adhesive, spatula-shaped setae that grow on fly footpads as a model for the development of adhesive structures that can be repeatedly attached to and detached from objects. The group observed the biological process by which the setae are formed in pupal fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) by staining fly legs for immunohistochemical analysis and labeling cytoskeletal actin with fluorescent dyes. As a result, the group discovered that adhesive spatulate footpad setae are formed in a simple two-step process: (1) seta forming cells elongate and cytoskeletal actin filaments in the cells accumulate at the distal tips of the elongated cells, forming the spatula-like frameworks, and (2) cuticle deposits form on the surfaces of the setae, solidifying them. The group then succeeded in developing a similar, simple two-step process to fabricate an adhesive spatulate structure at room temperature by (1) stretching nylon fibers to form a spatulate structure and (2) solidifying it. The structure's adhesive strength and ease of detachment were confirmed to vary, depending on the direction in which it is pulled away from the object to which it is attached—similar to the mechanisms insects use to attach or detach themselves to/from objects. A single spatulate fiber is sufficiently strong to suspend a silicon wafer from it weighing 52.8 g. Extrapolating from this, a bundle of 756 fibers (9 cm2 in cross-sectional area) can be expected to support a person weighing 60 kg.

Other advances in this area have attempted to mimic gecko feet.

More information:
Ken-ichi Kimura et al, Framework with cytoskeletal actin filaments forming insect footpad hairs inspires biomimetic adhesive device design, Communications Biology (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0995-0


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 29 2020, @09:10AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 29 2020, @09:10AM (#1043700)

    Next leap, make these structures on tires. With that much grip, all kinds of things could be possible for wheeled vehicles. Maybe car racing can dump aerodynamic devices, which are often blamed for the difficulty in passing, while maintaining the same levels of grip and thus speed & laptime.

  • (Score: 2) by inertnet on Saturday August 29 2020, @09:59AM (1 child)

    by inertnet (4071) on Saturday August 29 2020, @09:59AM (#1043708) Journal

    You'd have to use remote controlled driving though, because F1 drivers are already experiencing 5G and more.

    • (Score: 1) by RandomFactor on Saturday August 29 2020, @06:36PM

      by RandomFactor (3682) Subscriber Badge on Saturday August 29 2020, @06:36PM (#1043864) Journal

      Sadly I suspect this stuff won't do so well at 200mph on asphalt.
       
      But...if we were to ever get those glassy solar-road failures to be remotely viable things might get more interesting.

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