Mimicking the Gecko

Mimicking Gecko Feet: Dry Adhesive Based on Carbon Nanotubes Gets Stronger, with Directional Gripping Ability is a news story showing the direction in which adhesive technology is heading. The inspriration for this is none other than the gecko; an animal made into a household name by the Geico Insurance Company which runs some clever commercials. The idea is to mimick the gecko's ability to exploit attraction forces on an atomic level enabling the gripping of surfaces. Polymer or carbon nanotube structures have been targeted by researchers in the mimicking attempts. A more detailed account is available at Georgia Tech Research News.