Smart adhesive based on starfish
SEOULTECH researchers in Korea have developed an adhesive that reportedly grips and releases objects underwater.
The starfish-inspired tube feet could offer solutions for temporary and switchable underwater adhesion and transportation.
The team believes this advance could advance underwater robotics.
The starfish-inspired tube foot was designed by combining two serially bonded cylindrical components with different mechanical properties. It comprises a soft hydrogel mouth and a rigid stem.
Notably, the formation of a vacuum within the tube during detachment results in a strong underwater adhesion force as high as 65kPa.
Soft robotics, which uses flexible and deformable materials, is an emerging field in autonomous systems.
In deep-sea sampling tasks requiring strong adhesion and autonomous detachment, bioinspired adhesion offers a promising solution.
Inspired by gecko feet, mussel proteins and octopus suction cups, researchers have developed switchable underwater adhesion methods using chemical bonding, suction, negative pressure, and capillary forces.
By offering a strong yet gentle attachment method, the present work could help make future devices thinner, smarter and more user-friendly.
