Bird feather inspired technology could replace Velcro one day

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Spotted: Tarah Sullivan, a researcher at the University of California San Diego, discovered that bird feathers work a lot like Velcro. Feathers feature a series of small hook-like structures, which zip back together when pulled apart. They work like a natural adhesive. Sullivan also discovered that the spacing between these small hook-like structures was the same no matter what type of bird. Sullivan worked with a research group led by Marc Meyers, a professor in the school’s Departments of Nanoengineering and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Professor Eduard Arzt, from Saarland University in Germany, was also involved. Research by the group was published January 2019.

Takeaway: The “magical” zipping mechanism, along with the spacing, could open the door to new kinds of adhesives and aerospace materials, according to the researchers. Indeed prototypes are already in the works. “We believe that these structures could serve as inspiration for an interlocking one-directional adhesive or a material with directionally tailored permeability,” says Sullian. Increasing demand for high performance adhesives, particularly in the aerospace industry, is already driving innovation and market growth. The global so-called high-performance adhesives market – valued at $9.4 billion in 2017 – is expected to grow six percent a year between now and 2026, according to industry reports. Then there are all of those nappies and shoes that need fastening.

Website: www.ucsd.edu
Contact: www.twitter.com/ucsandiego

Published in: January 2019

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