A new material covered with nanoscopic hairs that mimic those found on geckos’ feet could allow people to walk up to sheer surfaces and across ceilings, say researchers.
Andre Geim and colleagues at the UK’s Manchester University say covering a person’s hand with the material would be enough to let them stick to the ceiling. The tape could be detached from the surface by simply peeling it slowly away from one side.
“Spiderman is science fiction and will remain in comics,” Geim told New Scientist. “But hopefully ‘gecko-man’ will become less science fiction and more a reality in the near future.”