Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 6, 2025

Manufacturing, Control, and Performance Evaluation of a Gecko-Inspired Soft Robot
Published on: June 10, 2020
Switchable Adhesion on Curved Surfaces Mimicking the Coordination of Radial-Oriented Spatular Tips and Motion of
Zhekun Shi1, Di Tan1,2, Zhuo Wang1
1School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, The Institute of Technological Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
Abstract:
Bio-inspired structured adhesives have promising applications in many fields, like biomedicine, robotics, and aerospace. However, achieving robust and switchable adhesion in structured adhesives on non-planar surfaces remains highly challenging. Inspired by the gripping and rolling motions of gecko toes, a strong and switchable adhesive, which comprises a pillar array with radial-oriented spatular tips and is named as PROST, is developed. PROST possesses a robust adhesion on flat surfaces and doubles its adhesion on curved surfaces. Moreover, in situ and fast adhesion switching of PROST on flat/curved surfaces in dry and wet conditions has been realized by solvent stimulation, mimicking the bending locomotion of gecko toes. The work here provides a new strategy for designing controllable adhesion on curved substrates.
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