Spider-Man may have wowed movie-goers and wooed comic fans for decades, but the idea of a wall-crawling human has always been a work of fiction. Now, however, British researchers say they have created a material that could turn cartoon fiction into scientific fact.
Experts at defense firm BAE Systems have been working on developing a new super-adherent material they say acts like "molecular Velcro." The textile, which they have labeled "Synthetic Gecko," does not use glue or pressure to stick to walls but recreates the natural adhesion of the lizard which gives it its name.
According to its creators, a sheet of Synthetic Gecko material measuring just 1m2 would be so strong that it could be used to hoist a family car into the air.
"It's still at the early stages, but we've made small sections of material which replicated what the gecko does," said the principal researcher for the project, Jeff Sargent.
The textile mimics the adhesive abilities of the famous lizard, which is able to run up walls and over windows without falling off.
Its tiny feet are covered in microscopic hairs which umbrella out at the bottom, bringing the foot so close to the wall that it is able to harness molecular levels of attraction. While the gecko's foot produces immense amounts of adherence, it can be easily "peeled off" by simply lifting the foot away from the wall. This biological ability has baffled scientists for generations, and many have attempted to replicate it without success.
But experts at BAE's research laboratories near Bristol have managed to recreate the phenomenon after months of intensive research. Their technique uses several layers of fabric, each consisting of thousands of tiny polymer strands which measure just 2 millionths of a meter across. Crucially, the strands copy the unique mushroom-like structure of the hairs on a gecko's foot, creating an immensely adherent fabric that could have numerous real-world applications.
If the material can be manufactured cheaply and in large enough quantities, its incredible grip could easily be built into shoes or other items, allowing people to scale otherwise impossibly sheer surfaces, and creating a generation of real-life Spider-Men.
"At the moment, we have only manufactured small amounts," Sargent said.
The textile has so far been used on flat surfaces covered with dust and other particles in laboratory tests. It is undergoing further development to produce an improved version which gives greater adherence in more trying conditions, such as against rough or wet surfaces.
But scientists say it is already clear that it could have revolutionary potential.
Other possible uses include emergency "sticking plasters" for aircraft or other vehicles, as well as building materials, safety harnesses and tyres.
Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has died of pneumonia at the age of 48 while on a trip to Japan, where she contracted influenza during the Lunar New Year holiday, her sister confirmed today through an agent. "Our whole family came to Japan for a trip, and my dearest and most kindhearted sister Barbie Hsu died of influenza-induced pneumonia and unfortunately left us," Hsu's sister and talk show hostess Dee Hsu (徐熙娣) said. "I was grateful to be her sister in this life and that we got to care for and spend time with each other. I will always be grateful to
REMINDER: Of the 6.78 million doses of flu vaccine Taiwan purchased for this flu season, about 200,000 are still available, an official said, following Big S’ death As news broke of the death of Taiwanese actress and singer Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛), also known as Big S (大S), from severe flu complications, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and doctors yesterday urged people at high risk to get vaccinated and be alert to signs of severe illness. Hsu’s family yesterday confirmed that the actress died on a family holiday in Japan due to pneumonia during the Lunar New Year holiday. CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) told an impromptu news conference that hospital visits for flu-like illnesses from Jan. 19 to Jan. 25 reached 162,352 — the highest
COMBINING FORCES: The 66th Marine Brigade would support the 202nd Military Police Command in its defense of Taipei against ‘decapitation strikes,’ a source said The Marine Corps has deployed more than 100 soldiers and officers of the 66th Marine Brigade to Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) as part of an effort to bolster defenses around the capital, a source with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. Two weeks ago, a military source said that the Ministry of National Defense ordered the Marine Corps to increase soldier deployments in the Taipei area. The 66th Marine Brigade has been tasked with protecting key areas in Taipei, with the 202nd Military Police Command also continuing to defend the capital. That came after a 2017 decision by the ministry to station
PETITIONS: A Democratic Progressive Party official quoted President William Lai as saying that civil society groups are organizing the recall drives at the grassroots level Some civil society groups yesterday announced that they have collected enough signatures to pass the first-stage threshold to initiate a recall vote against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators in 18 constituencies nationwide, saying that they would submit the signatures to the Central Election Commission (CEC) today. They also said that they expected to pass the threshold in eight more constituencies in the coming days, meaning the number of KMT legislators facing a recall vote could reach 26. The groups set up stations to collect signatures at local marketplaces and busy commercial districts. The legislators their petition drives target include Fu