Gecko lizards inspire 'Spiderman gloves' (prototype to be available within 3 years)

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | January 23, 2008 | Roger Highfield

[Stoat]

"Gecko tape was proved as a concept a few years ago by our group," comments Prof Andre Geim of the University of Manchester.

"Since then, there have been several steps in the right direction to reach its commercial availability and the current papers are yet another one. But it requires a giant leap to make gecko tape available in shops, which we all are looking forward to."

 

Here's the Free Republic thread from 2006 where the developers said that the notion of "Spiderman feats" wouldn't be possible.

Engineers create gecko-inspired high-friction micro-fibers

Lots of progress in just a couple of years!

[kms61]

I’m curious what hard core climbers would think about this. I suspect they’d regard it as unsporting.

[Stoat]

[FoxInSocks]

Geckos are neat creatures, and it’s fun to watch them run around. They were helpful in controlling the household mosquito population when I was Okinawa.

[Stoat]

I’m curious what hard core climbers would think about this. I suspect they’d regard it as unsporting.

Perhaps, or they might find ways of pushing this technology to it's limits as well.

[Nachoman]

Still, I’m hanging on to my duct tape.

[Stoat]

Geckos are neat creatures, and it’s fun to watch them run around. They were helpful in controlling the household mosquito population when I was Okinawa.

Any animal that helps control mosquitoes is a friend of mine!  :-)

[TCats]

Would imagine keeping the fibers clean would be one of the greatest challenges.

[Stoat]

Still, I’m hanging on to my duct tape.

Me too!  Duct tape is easily one of the best inventions of the past century, right up there with miniskirts and the V-8 engine  :-)

 

[B-Chan]

Our house is home to a colony of geckos (plus a couple of large anoles) and we have zero pest problems. The little fellas eat every insect they see; I can’t remember ever finding a live bug in our place. Viva geckos.

[boocoowell]

And here I thought all those sumbitches were good for was eating insects and selling insurance.....

[Doogle]

future Darwin candidates placing orders now

[canadianally]

Well, there goes my insurance rates. Every thief on the planet will be lining up for a pair of those.

Tomorrow, I must ring my house in barbed wire. LOL.

[Stoat]

Would imagine keeping the fibers clean would be one of the greatest challenges.

Indeed.  Perhaps the solution to that problem will come from the gecko as well.

It's amazing how many 'inventions' are derived from preexisting Nature.

[Stoat]

And here I thought all those sumbitches were good for was eating insects and selling insurance.....

Perhaps one day they will make it possible for you to paint your house without a ladder   :-)

[Stoat]

future Darwin candidates placing orders now
 

LMAO

One day we'll be hearing about somebody using a combination of Spiderman gloves and a JATO rocket to get himself killed  :-)

 

[Stoat]

Ping

[skinkinthegrass]

known as setae, on geckos' toe pads....I still prefer my claws, for digging....Geckos prefer rocks, trees and sheer vertical surfaces.

[Verginius Rufus]

I assume GEICO will be offering insurance.

[Eagles6]

A real man only needs 2 tools, duct tape and wd-40.

If it moves and shouldn't, use duct tape.

If it should move and doesn't, use wd-40.