Scientists recently figured out how spiders and geckos effortlessly scuttle up walls and hang from ceilings.
But it was always doubted whether this natural form of adhesion would ever be strong enough to hold the weight of real life Peter Parkers.
Recent research concluded that van der Waals forces – the weak attraction that molecules have for each other when they are brought very close together – are responsible for the amazing sticking power of insects and lizards.
In the case of spiders, it is the tiny hairs on their feet that attract to the molecules of surfaces, even glass, and keep them steady.
This discovery, however, was taken one step further by Professor Nicola Pugno, an engineer and physicist at Polytechnic of Turin, Italy.
In his research, published today in the Institute of Physics’ Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, Pugno claims to have devised how to make sticky human suits.
Pugno has formulated a hierarchy of adhesive forces that will be strong enough to suspend a person’s full body weight against a wall or on a ceiling, while also being easy to detach.
The study says carbon nanotube-based technology could be used to develop nano-molecular hooks and loops that would function like microscopic Velcro. This detachable, adhesive force could be used in conjunction with van der Waals forces and capillary adhesion.
“There are many interesting applications for our theory, from space exploration and defence, to designing gloves and shoes for window cleaners of big skyscrapers,” said Pugno.
The theory gains significance as, just like spiders’ and geckos’ feet, the hooks and hairs are self-cleaning and water-
resistant. This means that they will not wear or get clogged by bad weather or dirty surfaces, as well as be able to withstand some of the harshest habitats on Earth, including the deep sea.
“With the idea for the adhesion now in place, there are a number of other mechanics that need to be addressed before the Spiderman suit can become a reality,” Pugno added.
One such is a man’s muscles, which are quite different to those of a gecko.
“We would suffer great muscle fatigue if we tried to stick to a wall for many hours,” Pugno said.
“However now that we are this step closer, it may not be long before we are seeing people climbing up the Empire State Building with nothing but sticky shoes and gloves to support them,” he said.
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