Yu Youhe, Luo Hongqi, Gu Yongxia, Zhao Jieliang
School of Computer and Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, China.
School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
PLoS One. 2025 Aug 4;20(8):e0329624. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0329624. eCollection 2025.
Surface roughness is a critical factor that affects surface adhesion in bees. Investigating the mechanisms underlying surface adhesion in bees on substrates with varying surface roughness levels provides a theoretical basis for designing bioinspired adhesives and micro-climbing robots. In this study, a specialized adhesion measurement device was developed to compare the adhesive forces applied on substrates with different roughness levels by intact bees and by those whose adhesive pads have been removed. Moreover, a contact model for adhesion between the claw tips and substrate particles and a liquid bridge model for adhesion between the adhesive pads and substrate surfaces were established to analyze the distinct roles of claws and adhesive pads, respectively, under different surface roughness conditions. The results revealed that on surfaces with roughness values below 3.2 μm, the adhesive pads secreted liquid to form liquid bridges, increasing contact area and adhesive force, thereby dominating the adhesion process. As the surface roughness increased, the contribution of the adhesive pads diminished, whereas the mechanical interlocking effect of the claws became relatively more pronounced. When the surface roughness exceeded 36 μm, the irregularity of substrate particles enhanced the interlocking effect of the claws, making the force generated by the claw tip the dominant adhesion force. Thus, the integration of the contact and liquid bridge models revealed the synergistic effects of mechanical interlocking and liquid bridge mechanisms on improvement in surface adhesion in bees.
表面粗糙度是影响蜜蜂表面附着力的关键因素。研究蜜蜂在具有不同表面粗糙度水平的基质上的表面附着力机制，为设计仿生粘合剂和微型攀爬机器人提供了理论依据。在本研究中，开发了一种专门的附着力测量装置，以比较完整蜜蜂和去除了粘附垫的蜜蜂在不同粗糙度水平的基质上施加的附着力。此外，还建立了爪尖与基质颗粒之间的粘附接触模型以及粘附垫与基质表面之间的液桥模型，以分别分析在不同表面粗糙度条件下爪子和粘附垫的不同作用。结果表明，在粗糙度值低于3.2μm的表面上，粘附垫分泌液体形成液桥，增加接触面积和附着力，从而主导粘附过程。随着表面粗糙度的增加，粘附垫的作用减弱，而爪子的机械互锁效应相对变得更加明显。当表面粗糙度超过36μm时，基质颗粒的不规则性增强了爪子的互锁效应，使爪尖产生的力成为主要的附着力。因此，接触模型和液桥模型的结合揭示了机械互锁和液桥机制对提高蜜蜂表面附着力的协同作用。
