Abstract
A novel adhesive pad for a climbing robot, inspired by a stick insect’s smooth pad, is proposed. The micro structure pattern and inclined fiber of a stick insect’s pad are mimicked, and an adhesion force is produced based on its wet adhesion mechanism. Firstly, the wet adhesion model is discussed and the pad is designed; secondly, the adhesion characteristics, adhesion direction dependence and adaptability are analyzed; finally, the proposed pad is fabricated using a thermoplastic elastomer, which is a hydrophilic and viscoelastic material. Experimental results show that the adhesion performance of the pad is good, and normal adhesion and friction can reach to 0.65 N and 3 N. Furthermore, the adhesion of the pad is direction dependent and self-adaptive.
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Li, M., He, B., Qin, H. et al. A wet adhesion inspired biomimetic pad with direction dependence and adaptability. Chin. Sci. Bull. 56, 1935–1941 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-011-4375-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-011-4375-5