On the mimicking of geckos and tree frogs for adhering to soft substrates

<b>Background</b>: Soft-tissue grip is a challenge in minimally invasive surgery. Grasping instruments used in clinical practice require high pinch forces in order to generate sufficient grip for manipulating soft tissue without slipping.<br/>In nature, several animals employ adhesion in order to grip on, not only hard, but also soft substrates....

Friction Forces of Micropatterned Elastomers with Carbon Fibre Fabric Reinforcement on Soft Substrates

Gecko-inspired adhesives mimic the external structure of geckos with micropatterned surfaces and the internal structure by fabric reinforcement in soft elastomer adhesive pads. Previous research measured the friction forces of synthetic adhesives, with either an external or internal structure, mainly on hard substrates. Much less is known about...