Gecko

Over the years, we've heard about multiple systems that copy gecko feet in order to pick up delicate objects without breaking them. Korean scientists have now taken things further, by adding a means of harmlessly letting go of those items.

When it comes to robotic hands, there are ones that can grasp tough items firmly, and ones that can grasp delicate items lightly. The experimental new gecko-inspired farmHand, however, is capable of doing both.

​The superhero-like abilities of the humble gecko have inspired countless avenues of scientific research, and biologists have uncovered yet another incredible talent to add to the list – the enterprising lizard species also has the ability to run on water.

Storage-integrated staircases are popular in tiny houses but this is the first time we've seen a lizard-integrated staircase. Following Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses' recent cat-friendly home, it has designed a compact dwelling with a staircase that hosts a vivarium for the owners' pet gecko.

​​One particularly active area of robotics research involves the exploration of soft parts, which are opening up new possibilities and making machines safer for humans to work around. Now they are gaining a helping hand from the amazing adhesive properties of the gecko.

Like many lizards, geckos can detach their tail in order to evade a predator, then regrow it complete with the spinal cord. Now, a scientist has discovered how they go about doing it. His findings could lead to improved treatment of spinal cord injuries in humans.

Stanford University and have come up with a robotic gripper that's based on the sticky pads of the gecko. The difference is that instead of helping a lizard to stick to window panes, this gripper is designed to gently latch onto dead satellites and other debris.

Many lizards are capable of breaking off and regrowing their tail, in order to escape predators. The newly-described Geckolepis megalepis gecko, however, possesses a rather interesting trait. When a predator tries to eat it, that creature often just ends up with a mouthful of tear-away scales.​

Researchers have developed a new dry adhesive that not only bonds in extreme temperatures, it even gets stronger as the heat goes up. The gecko-inspired material maintains its hold in extreme cold and actually gets stickier in extreme heat.

The natural stickiness of gecko's feet has inspired decades-long research efforts to develop advanced adhesives. Now a company spun out of university research group called nanoGriptech has taken the science to market.

Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are honing the applications of a gecko-like gripping mechanism in the hope of making life a little less chaotic for those working aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

In various types of manufacturing, parts are picked and placed using graspers or suction cups. The former can damage fragile items, however, while the latter won't work in vacuums. That's why scientists have developed a new material that utilizes the same principle as gecko feet.