Biomimetic soft adhesion robot: From biology to bionics

Abstract

Biological adhesion is a typical movement model in nature. Many kinds of organisms have evolved various adhesive systems due to their different living backgrounds and species. The adhesive system is a functional system which enables organisms to temporarily or permanently adhere to the substrate or another organism and prevent them from falling off. The biological adhesion mechanisms can be classified as interlocking, friction and bonding. The bonding mechanism was further divided into dry adhesion (van der Waals force), wet adhesion (capillarity), suction (negative pressure) and gluing (mucus), which can act independently or simultaneously. Adhesion principles of the classic terrestrial/underwater creatures (gecko, tree frog, octopus, and remora) were introduced in detail, and the scavenger, sea urchin, ant larva, jumping spider, etc. were simply described. The bionic adhesive devices designed based on the above adhesion mechanisms were summarized. The research achievements of biomimetic adhesion were listed including biomimetic soft adhesion robot, equipment, material, and their application prospects were also mentioned. The method of fabricating bio-inspired remora disc prototype from biological system was demonstrated. In addition, adhesive abilities and potential application of the biomimetic disc were analyzed. Eventually, we summarized the significance, development status and challenges of the biomimetic adhesion and indicated the research directions of bio-inspired soft adhesion robot including detailed adhesion mechanism, rigid flexible coupling structure, biomimetic soft composites, integrated technology (flexible actuator, senser, controller) and interdisciplinary research.