A novel intelligent adhesion structure developed by researchers not only enhances adhesion on complex surfaces, but also enables contact interface morphology sensing and real-time monitoring of the contact state.
Biomimetic dry adhesive structures, inspired by geckos' climbing abilities, have attracted research attention in recent year. This remarkable adhesion capability surpasses traditional adhesives and has long been a focus of biomimetic research. Dry adhesive materials inspired by geckos have been widely applied in automation, robotics, and healthcare. Conventional bionic adhesion methods perform well on smooth surfaces, but adhesion strength drastically decreases on rough surfaces due to reduced contact area. Furthermore, in most existing studies combining adhesion and sensing, adhesion primarily serves sensing functions, and only a few studies explore sensing-assisted adhesion. Even in these cases, the introduction of sensing functions has not effectively improved adhesion performance on rough surfaces. Therefore, the integration of adhesion and sensing into a single intelligent adhesive system tailored for rough surfaces holds great potential for advancing biomimetic adhesion technology.
A research team led by Professor Jinyou Shao and Professor Hongmiao Tian from Xi’an Jiaotong University has developed a gecko-inspired intelligent adhesive structures designed for rough surfaces. This structure not only demonstrates superior adhesion on complex surfaces but also features real-time adhesion state monitoring and surface morphology perception. The study, titled Gecko-Inspired Intelligent Adhesive Structures for Rough Surfaces was published in Research (DOI: 10.34133/research.0630).
The research team proposed a hierarchical bionic dry adhesive structure combines an inclined support structure with a mushroom-type top adhesive structure, which is flexed by the connection of flexible films to adapt to a rough surface and increase the contact area to improve the adhesion effect. The top-layer inclined support pillar array not only enhances adhesion but also functions as a flexible capacitive sensor. By integrating upper and lower flexible regional electrodes, the system forms a capacitive sensing array capable of real-time monitoring of the adhesive interface. This regionalized sensing array provides feedback on the force distribution across different contact areas, enabling precise perception of target surface morphology and expanding potential applications of smart adhesive materials.
Experimental results demonstrated that this intelligent adhesive structure notably outperforms conventional biomimetic adhesives on rough surfaces. Mechanical testing revealed that, compared to traditional adhesives, this structure maintains superior adhesion even as surface roughness increases. The synergistic effect of the top-layer inclined support pillars and bottom-layer mushroom-shaped micro-structures enhances adaptability and maximizes contact area.
This gecko-inspired intelligent adhesive structure, which integrates adhesion and sensing capabilities, represents a significant advancement for rough surface applications. By combining a flexible capacitive pressure sensor with a biomimetic adhesive system, the structure not only enhances adhesion performance but also enables real-time monitoring of interface contact states and morphology perception. The incorporation of a regionalized capacitive sensing array allows precise force distribution feedback, making it highly suitable for applications in robotic grasping, aerospace exploration, industrial inspection, and beyond.
Sources: https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/research.0630
About Research by Science Partner Journal
Launched in 2018, Research is the first journal in the Science Partner Journal (SPJ) program. Research is published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in association with Science and Technology Review Publishing House. Research publishes fundamental research in the life and physical sciences as well as important findings or issues in engineering and applied science. The journal publishes original research articles, reviews, perspectives, and editorials. IF = 10.7, Citescore = 13.3.