Many a young child has spent a lazy sunny afternoon watching in awe as a gecko journeyed across the landscape. Its adhesive-like toepads keeping the lizard upright and moving regardless of the surface — gravel, a tree branch, a stucco wall or even a glass window.
That ability to stick and release on any surface has fascinated California State University, Northridge assistant professor of mechanical engineering Jamie Booth for years. Booth received a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to further understanding of the performance of synthetic adhesives which harness mechanisms used by the gecko. What he and his students learn could revolutionize a number of fields, from manufacturing to medicine...
For more of the media release: https://csunshinetoday.csun.