A "Spiderman suit" that allows the wearer to scale vertical walls just like the fictional superhero could one day be a reality.Insects, spiders and geckos all have tiny hairs on their feet that set up weak attractions called van der Waals forces between molecules that are very close together.
This microscopic Velcro can cling to smooth surfaces yet is easy to detach.
Italian scientists have calculated how sufficient stickiness could be generated in the same way to support a human being's body weight. They believe microscopic hollow structures called carbon nanotubes could theoretically be used to make the idea work.
Prof Nicola Pugno, from the Polytechnic of Turin, said: "It may not be long before we are seeing people climbing up the Empire State Building with nothing but sticky shoes and gloves to support them."
Source: Telegraph & Times Online
Tags: Spiderman | Suit | Nanotubes | Van Der Waals
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