Arzt Eduard, Gorb Stanislav, Spolenak Ralph
Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, Heisenbergstrasse 3, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Sep 16;100(19):10603-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1534701100. Epub 2003 Sep 5.
Animals with widely varying body weight, such as flies, spiders, and geckos, can adhere to and move along vertical walls and even ceilings. This ability is caused by very efficient attachment mechanisms in which patterned surface structures interact with the profile of the substrate. An extensive microscopic study has shown a strong inverse scaling effect in these attachment devices. Whereas microm dimensions of the terminal elements of the setae are sufficient for flies and beetles, geckos must resort to sub-microm devices to ensure adhesion. This general trend is quantitatively explained by applying the principles of contact mechanics, according to which splitting up the contact into finer subcontacts increases adhesion. This principle is widely spread in design of natural adhesive systems and may also be transferred into practical applications.
体重差异很大的动物，如苍蝇、蜘蛛和壁虎，能够附着在垂直墙壁甚至天花板上并沿着其移动。这种能力是由非常高效的附着机制引起的，在这种机制中，有图案的表面结构与基底的轮廓相互作用。一项广泛的微观研究表明，这些附着装置中存在强烈的反尺度效应。对于苍蝇和甲虫来说，刚毛末端元素的微米尺寸就足够了，而壁虎则必须依靠亚微米装置来确保附着力。通过应用接触力学原理可以对这一普遍趋势进行定量解释，根据该原理，将接触分解为更细的子接触会增加附着力。这一原理在天然粘附系统的设计中广泛存在，也可以应用到实际应用中。
