Bridging nanocontacts to macroscale gecko adhesion by sliding soft lamellar skin supported setal array

Abstract

The study of the mechanism of the controlled adhesion of geckos, which is important for the design and fabrication of bio-inspired dry and reversible adhesive surfaces, is widely discussed below the setal level. In this work, the role of the soft lamellar skin in gecko toe adhesion was experimentally revealed. The lamellar skin acting as a soft spring sustains most of the normal deformation during preloading and maintains a wide range of adhesive state rather than a repulsive state. The sequential engagement and peeling off of setal array are responsible for the reliable gecko adhesion and friction control. This soft spring supported pillar structure should be adopted in future bio-inspired adhesives design. A hybrid three-legged spring/setae clamp was developed to transfer a horizontally placed silicon wafer. It indicates the importance of integration and optimization of nanoscale structures as well as the incorporation of their unique, size-dependent properties into functional macroscale devices.