Meeting Abstract
Nature provides various examples, such as geckos, for how to sustain large forces across interfaces and, when desired, separate these same interfaces with minimal force. However, given the variety of structures and behaviors observed within geckos, a broad, inclusive framework for new understanding has remained elusive. To help provide insight into how evolution has enabled the scaling of reversible adhesion, and adapt to different external constraints, we have developed a general scaling theory that describes the force capacity of an adhesive interface in the context of biological locomotion. We have demonstrated that this scaling theory can be used to understand the relative performance of a wide range of organisms, including numerous gecko species and insects, as well as an extensive library of synthetic adhesive materials. We will present the development and testing of this scaling theory, and how this understanding provides new insight with regards to structure, form, and function. Overall, the developed scaling principles provide a framework for guiding comparative analyses in biology, as well as guiding the development of new adhesive-based technologies.
