Coming soon: 100-gecko-an-hour tape

Submitted by Eric Daniel

Seems folk at the University of Akron are trying to take a page out of the gecko’s wall climbing playbook (or at least its feet) by developing a form of adhesive tape that mimics the gecko’s foot.  Unlike conventional 100-mph tape, which uses a “glue like” chemical adhesive, the gecko tape derives its binding power through a self-generated electrostatic charge.  The gecko’s foot pads are covered with thousands of hairs which are, in turn, split into hundreds of smaller nano-hairs.  The “gecko tape” mimics this through the use of setae, bundles of strong and flexible carbon nanotubes, which recreate the electrostatic charge.

Currently being developed for space applications, gecko tape isn’t available to the general consumer yet, though no doubt, when it does come out, it will be just the thing for doing BDA repairs on the F-22 and F-35.

Check out gecko-tape here.

Comments

[nick]

nice idea. As far as fixing an F-22 or an F-35, I will not personally get into a plane that has been fixed up in anyway by tape. except if your fixing the upholstery.

[PFC Wilson]

My car is half held together with duct tape. I'd fly a plane in the same condition. As long as it didn't hold together anything vital, anyways

[Don]

I'm a F-22 mechanic, the pilot told me it sounded like a midget was banging on something inside the nose. So i took the hammer away from the midget.

[Mark Trees]

i have done a temporay fix on the leading edge of floatplane to be able to get it back fromsite of incedent 90 miles to fbo for repairs. using cardboard and duct tape.