Scaling buildings like Spiderman could be a reality, scientists claim

This should bring free climbing to a whole new level. Literally being able to crawl up the sides of pretty much anything. They have already applied the results to a test robot that was able to crawl up a pane of glass.

Its based off the gecko, utilizing the small fibers that stick to pretty much anything. It doesnt leave any residue / damage behind.

So much for living on the 27th floor and leaving your balcony door open. This discovery should make burglars happy.

Source

Walking up the side of buildings like Spiderman could soon be a reality, scientists have claimed. Sticky gloves and shoes are being developed using a material that allows the wearing to stick and climb up walls.

They have already created a new textile inspired by geckos which has been tested successfully on a small robot that can scale smooth surfaces such as glass and metal.

They are currently looking at ways to adapt this for human use.

Engineers now want to "scale up" the design for humans as part of a project that has been codenamed Z-Man. Geckos' ability to defy gravity is due to microscopic hairs on their toes, increasing the surface area, which creates a "one-way adhesive". A sticky bond is created with each step but that bond can be broken by movement in the other direction.

Oh man, dream come true!

Kids are going to go crazy to get some of these.

reply to post by gandhi


Kids aren't the only ones. I'm going to want some of those if/when they are mass produced! Oh happy happy joy joy!