Reusable adhesive could let people ‘climb walls like Spider-Man’

This is the claim of a team of scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), who said the reusable adhesive is over ten times stronger than the adhesive grip of a gecko’s foot and could lead to reusable superglue and grippers capable of holding heavy weights across rough and smooth surfaces.

Led by Professor K Jimmy Hsia, the NTU research team found a way to maximise the adhesion of the smart adhesives by using shape-memory polymers, which stick and detach easily when heat is applied to them. The team’s findings are detailed in National Science Review.

In a statement, Professor Hsia said: “This research is based on a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of adhesion forces on rough surfaces. It can help us develop very strong, yet easily detachable, adhesives adaptable to rough surfaces. The technology will be very useful in adhesive grippers and climbing robots and might one day let humans climb walls like a real-life Spider-Man.”