Robot inspired by Gecko: it has tweezers that could clean space junk.

Robot inspired by Gecko: it has tweezers that could clean space junk.

In space, hoarding things is difficult. A new robot using gecko-inspired pliers could solve that problem, helping to clear up the mess of debris orbiting the Earth. The toaster-sized device can grip, hold and move even large, smooth microgravity surfaces on both flat and curved objects. To do this, a dry adhesive material created by Hao Jiang at Stanford University in California, and colleagues, is used. This ability to grab an object almost anywhere, instead of having a specific hook point that may not even be there, is very advantageous, Matthew Spenko at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. This means that a precision approach is not necessary.

In an environment where an accidental push can send some flying and space debris can travel faster than the speed of sound, agility is the key. Geckos can hold on almost any smooth surface with a few toes, which are covered in gummy pelts. The ends of the hairs are separated into such small strands that interact with the molecules any surface of the gecko is ascending. This produces a Velcro effect that acts as an adhesive only when the gecko toes are pulling along a surface and folding an action that increases the area of ​​the hairs touching.

Researchers have imitated this trait of its clamp, which has a thin cover sheet that protrudes into wedges a tenth of a millimeter. These micro wedges adhere to a smooth surface when folded as you pull through it. Individual sheets of this type of material have been used before to create small robots that can raise smooth walls while dragging heavy loads.

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