Scientists are making a new adhesive tape after studying the feet of tree frogs.
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ave you ever wanted to climb up the side of a building, just like Spider-Man? One day that may be possible. Scientists have discovered how to make a super-strong adhesive, by studying tree frogs. Animangsu Ghatak, a scientist in India, and other scientists noticed that the little leapers have special ways of climbing. Even on wet surfaces, they are able to hold on tight.
Ghatak’s team found that the tree frogs’ toes have a unique shape. Under a microscope, they were able to see that the surface of the toe pads have tiny bumps. Like soccer cleats, these bumps poke out to give the frog better traction on wet surfaces. When the frog walks on a dry surface, something else happens. The frog is able to secrete a fluid between the bumps on its feet. That fluid helps the frog hold on even tighter to a surface.
Once the scientists understood how the frogs’ feet worked, they were able to mimic the adhesive abilities. They created pieces of tape with tiny tubes, which they filled with a sticky fluid. The scientists found that when the tubes were full, the tape was 3,000 percent stickier than when the tubes were empty. When the tubes were emptied, the tape was weak enough to be removed.
More Sticky Feet
Scientists have also learned how to make adhesives similar to the feet of geckos. Geckos have tiny, hooked hairs on their feet that act like Velcro. Velcro is an adhesive that uses tiny hooks and loops to hold things together. It is sometimes used on sneakers instead of shoelaces. Scientists have been able to use what they have learned about the geckos’ Velcro-like feet to make robots that are able to climb walls. They hope that one day these robots will be able to do things that humans cannot easily do, such as look for damage on the outside of spacecraft.
So, will you be climbing up walls like a superhero any time soon? Probably not. Phillip Messersmith is a scientist at Northwestern University. He says a tape with tiny tubes inside would be too expensive for most people to buy.
In what ways might a super-strong adhesive benefit humans?
How much do you know about frogs? Try this crossword puzzle and find out!
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