Articulation of angled semicircular microfibers for a gecko-inspired anisotropic adhesive

Abstract

A highly reusable synthetic gecko-inspired adhesive has been developed using angled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) semicircular microscale fiber arrays, retaining up to 77% of the initial adhesion force over 10,000 repeated test cycles against a flat glass puck without exhibiting fiber wear. The dynamic adhesion and shear force measurements demonstrate the importance of specific shearing articulation to effectively switch the adhesion obtained from a maximum of 9.4 kPa for attachment to a minimum of zero for easy detachment. A maximum shear force of 85 kPa was also obtained, approaching the 88-226 kPa range reported for gecko feet and digits.