''Synthetic Gecko'' Material Enables People To Climb Walls

Jul 27 2006, 8:00am CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Move over Tobey Maguire. Thanks to a new creation, your Spider-Man ability to climb walls with ease may not be so awe-inspiring anymore. The Britist government and military are working on a material that mimics a gecko's ability to stick to walls and other surfaces.

The goal, which is still a long way away, is to arm troops with suits made out of the material, which would give them the ability to stick to any surface, or even hang from a ceiling. Just one square meter of this material, which is reportedly the most ambitious attempt at replicating the gecko's ability, could hold an entire car to the ceiling.We're still years from seeing a real-life Spider-Man from this material. According to a spokesperson from the firm working on the project, "timescales could be as long as about eight to 20 years, but may be sooner for a particular covert application we are investigating." In other words, the first use of this material would be for espionnage purposes, which seems to fit quite appropriately.

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Report Published by: Mark Raby

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Luigi Lugmayr
Luigi is the founding chief Editor of I4U News and brings over 15 years experience in the technology field to the ever evolving and exciting world of gadgets. He started I4U News back in 2000 and evolved it into vibrant technology magazine.
Luigi can be contacted directly at ml@i4u.com. Luigi posts regularly on LuigiMe.com about his experience running I4U.