A Bibliometric Analysis of Gecko Adhesion: A View of Its Origins and Current Directions

Abstract

Although there has been long-standing interest in understanding how geckos achieve robust and repeatable adhesion across a wide range of surfaces and under many conditions, the underlying mechanisms have only come to light over the last 15 years. Biological interpretation of the significance of the system, as well as the potential for developing syntheticSynthetic mimics, both rely on a more complete analysis and interpretation than currently exists of the gecko adhesion model outside of ideal circumstances. In this contribution, we explore the basic research literature on gecko adhesion and some related foundational work in the patent literature in an effort to provide a qualitative description of the major themes of basic research and the potential applications captured in associated patents. Our main analytical approach borrows from bibliometric methods and tools that are designed to reveal idea sources and development as dynamic networks among keywords, authors, and journals captured in co-citation data. Although our co-citation dataset includes over 1500 studies, themes emerging from the analysis suggest that gecko research efforts are distributed on many different fronts with unclear or weak linkage to applications as reflected in the patent literature. Our anecdotal impression that studies focusing on natural materials in the gecko adhesive system that are less well represented than those centered on other themes (e.g., structure, geometry, mechanics) is consistent with the bibliometric patterns revealed here.