Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a
model that explains how geckos, as well as spiders and some insects, can run up
and down walls, cling to ceilings, and seemingly defy gravity with such
effortless grace.
This ability, outlined today in the Journal of Applied
Physics, is a remarkable mechanism in the toes of geckos that uses tiny,
branched hairs called “seta” that can instantly turn their stickiness on and
off, and even “unstick” their feet without using any energy.