Oregon L5 Society
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Abstract:
Nature has evolved many robust solutions to the challenges that we face in the design of highly mobile robots for maneuvering over rough terrain. Sojourner, the wheeled Mars Rover, became stuck on Yogi, a small rock on the surface of the Red Planet. In contrast, geckos and many other small legged animals climb rapidly over vertical and even inverted surfaces. A biologically inspired legged robot could approach obstacles such as Yogi as simply another surface for locomotion. Geckos have evolved microscopic setae (foot hairs) that function as a unique dry, self-cleaning adhesive that can attach repeatedly to smooth surfaces without the use of glues, other chemical bonding agents, or suction. Geckos use their setae to climb rapidly up smooth vertical -and even inverted- surfaces. My lab at Lewis & Clark College, in collaboration with UC Berkeley and Stanford University, has discovered the secret of attachment and detachment of isolated gecko setae. Precise 3-dimensional orientation is critical for adhesion of setae. A small perpendicular preload, followed by a 5 micron displacement along the surface and parallel to the shaft of the seta are required for effective attachment, which can yield up to 200 �N of adhesive force in a single 100 micron seta. Detachment of adhesive systems is arguably more important than attachment. After all, strong attachment can be accomplished simply by using cyanoacrylate glue. Climbing requires an adhesive system that combines strong attachment with easy detachment. Moreover, the adhesive system must withstand repeated attachment-detachment cycles. Geckos' adhesive repeatedly grips strongly, yet release quickly (in only 10 ms) as the lizards run up walls. Gecko setae are durable, and withstand thousands of attachment cycles. These small lizards set the benchmark for future robot performance, have already inspired the design of robots that may represent the next generation of mobility platforms for scenarios such as search and rescue, reconnaissance, hazmat cleanup, and space exploration. There will be a live gecko, overhead view graphs and a open discussion. We hope to see you there.

About the Speaker:
Kellar Autumn, assistant professor of biology, came to Lewis & Clark College in 1998. After receiving his Ph.D. from from the University of California at Berkeley in 1995, he held an Office of Naval Research postdoctoral position, and was awarded a research fellowship at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at U.C. Berkeley. Prof. Autumn's research focuses on physiology, biomechanics, and evolution of animal locomotion. His discovery that geckos have the best physiological fuel economy known to science has taken him out of the lab to the Taklimakan, Gobi, and Kara Kum Deserts of central Asia. Prof. Autumn received worldwide acclaim for his research on adhesion in geckos and the discovery of the world's first dry self-cleaning adhesive, recently published in the journal Nature, and for which a patent is pending. He is currently collaborating with engineers to design legged robots that can run up walls.

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