Pennisi E
Science. 2000 Jun 9;288(5472):1717-8. doi: 10.1126/science.288.5472.1717a.
Biomechanists have uncovered the secret of how the gecko manages to run up walls and across ceilings: rows of tiny hairs with multiple split ends on the bottom of each toe pad. As they report in the 8 June issue of Nature, weak attractive forces between the 1000 or so split ends on each hair and the ceiling help the gecko grab even the smoothest surface. Armed with that knowledge, the researchers hope to design synthetic "footpads" to improve the maneuverability of robots and perhaps to design an entirely new type of adhesive.
每个脚趾底部都有成排的微小毛发，且毛发末端有多个分叉。正如他们在6月8日的《自然》杂志上所报道的那样，每根毛发上大约1000个分叉末端与天花板之间的微弱吸引力帮助壁虎抓住哪怕是最光滑的表面。有了这一知识，研究人员希望设计出合成“脚垫”，以提高机器人的机动性，或许还能设计出一种全新类型的粘合剂。
