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    gecko-inspired adhesives tagged posts

    Gecko-inspired Adhesives help Soft Robotic Fingers get a Better Grip

    April 11, 2018, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    The gripper can also porous objects, like this rock. Credit: JPL

    The gripper can also porous objects, like this rock. Credit: JPL

    A team of California researchers has developed a robotic gripper that combines the adhesive properties of gecko toes and the adaptability of air-powered soft robots to grasp a much wider variety of objects than the state of the art. Researchers will present their findings at the 2018 International Conference on Robotics and Automation May 21 to 25 in Brisbane, Australia. The gripper can lift up to 45lbs. and could be used to grasp objects in a wide range of settings, from factory floors to the International Space Station, ISS.

    Geckos are known as nature’s best climbers because of a sophisticated gripping mechanism on their toes...

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    Engineers design a robotic gripper for cleaning up space debris

    June 29, 2017, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics, Astronomy/Space

    Close up of the robotic gripper made by the Cutkosky lab at Stanford University. The gripper is designed to grab objects in zero gravity using their gecko-inspired adhesive. Credit: Kurt Hickman/Stanford News Service

    Close up of the robotic gripper made by the Cutkosky lab at Stanford University. The gripper is designed to grab objects in zero gravity using their gecko-inspired adhesive. Credit: Kurt Hickman/Stanford News Service

     
    Right now, about 500,000 pieces of human-made debris are whizzing around space, orbiting our planet at speeds up to 17,500 miles per hour. This debris poses a threat to satellites, space vehicles and astronauts aboard those vehicles. What makes tidying up especially challenging is that the debris exists in space. Suction cups don’t work in a vacuum. Traditional sticky substances, like tape, are largely useless because the chemicals they rely on can’t withstand the extreme temperature swings. Magnets only work on objects that are magnetic...
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