Inspired by leaf beetles' way of sticking to leaves, researchers have created a device that uses the surface tension of many water droplets to adhere to a variety of surfaces.
Michael Vogel and Paul Steen of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, devised a system in which water is pumped through hundreds of tiny holes in a plate by an electric pulse. The surface tension of the droplets being pushed through these holes generates the adhesive force. When the plate comes close enough to another surface, the droplets form 'liquid bridges' with the object to hold it. To release, the water is pumped back into the device, breaking the bridges.
The duo show that the device can hold its own weight plus a payload (pictured) for several minutes.
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Engineering: Sticky when wet. Nature 463, 590 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/463590b
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/463590b
