The idea of tiny robots that can drag things that weight a lot more than themselves is probably far from being interesting. What if we’d tell you this: imagine yourself pulling around a blue whale. That’s pretty much how strong they are. In fact, the best part is that it’s not force that makes them capable of doing it, but abilities similar to what Spider-Man has, sort of.
Spider-Man’s wall-crawling abilities have been explained in several ways. Believe it or not, some biologists and physicists actually tried to find possible explanations for the superhero’s powers. Take History’s Channel’s Spider-Man Tech team who suggested the barbed hair on his fingertips (from the movie adaptation of Marvel’s series) could have the same effect as the miniature scopulae hairs on the ends of a spider’s feet.
Why are we talking about Spider-Man? Because these robots use something similar to get their strength. Built by mechanical engineers at Stanford University in California, the super-strong bots use a particular type of adhesive to stick to the ground. According to NewScientist, the design is inspired by geckos, which have climbing skills that are legendary in the animal kingdom.
These bots sure are quite sticky
The adhesives are covered in minute rubber spikes that grip firmly onto the wall as the robot climbs. When pressure is applied, the spikes bend, increasing their surface area and thus their stickiness. When the robot picks its foot back up, the spikes straighten out again and detach easily.
The way these little fellows move also helps since apparently they were inspired by inchworms. In other words, one pad drifts the robot forward while the other stays in place to support the heavy load. This way missing steps are avoided and parking is done without additional power.
Why do we care? Well, imagine that the most powerful prototype so far weighs just 12 grams (0.4 ounce) and can drag a weight that’s 2,000 times heavier. We’re talking about Hercules powers here, strengths that could one day be used in everything from hauling heavy things in factories to construction sites.
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