Keywords
biomimetic design, reversible adhesion, composite, cross-scale, robotics
Abstract
Bio-inspired reversible adhesion has significant potential in many fields requiring flexible grasping and manipulation, such as precision manufacturing, flexible electronics, and intelligent robotics. Despite extensive efforts for adhesive synthesis with a high adhesion strength at the interface, an effective strategy to actively tune the adhesion capacity between a strong attachment and an easy detachment spanning a wide range of scales has been lagged. Herein, we report a novel soft-hard-soft sandwiched composite design to achieve a stable, repeatable, and reversible strong adhesion with an easily scalable performance for a large area ranging from ~1.5 to 150 cm2 and a high load ranging from ~20 to 700 N. Theoretical studies indicate that this design can enhance the uniform loading for attachment by restraining the lateral shrinkage in the natural state, while facilitate a flexible peeling for detachment by causing stress concentration in the bending state, yielding an adhesion switching ratio of ~54 and a switching time of less than ~0.2 s. This design is further integrated into versatile grippers, climbing robots, and human climbing grippers, demonstrating its robust scalability for a reversible strong adhesion. This biomimetic design bridges microscopic interfacial interactions with macroscopic controllable applications, providing a universal and feasible paradigm for adhesion design and control.
Recommended Citation
LI, Xiaosong; BAI, Pengpeng; LI, Xinxin; LI, Lvzhou; LI, Yuanzhe; LU, Hongyu; MA, Liran; MENG, Yonggang; and TIAN, Yu
(2022)
"Robust scalable reversible strong adhesion by gecko-inspired composite design,"
Friction: Vol. 10:
Iss.
8, Article 4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-021-0522-4
Available at:
https://dc.tsinghuajournals.com/friction/vol10/iss8/4
