Switchable shape memory polymer bio-inspired adhesive and its application for unmanned aerial vehicle landing

Abstract

Controlled and switchable adhesion is commonly observed in biological systems. In recent years, many scholars have focused on making switchable bio-inspired adhesives. However, making a bio-inspired adhesive with high adhesion performance and excellent dynamic switching properties is still a challenge. A Shape Memory Polymer Bio-inspired Adhesive (SMPBA) was successfully developed, well realizing high adhesion (about 337 kPa), relatively low preload (about 90 kPa), high adhesion-to-preload ratio (about 3.74), high switching ratio (about 6.74), and easy detachment, which are attributed to the controlled modulus and contact area by regulating temperature and the Shape Memory Effect (SME). Furthermore, SMPBA exhibits adhesion strength of 80–337 kPa on various surfaces (silicon, iron, and aluminum) with different roughness (Ra = 0.021–10.280) because of the conformal contact, reflecting outstanding surface adaptability. The finite element analysis verifies the bending ability under different temperatures, while the adhesion model analyzes the influence of preload on contact area and adhesion. Furthermore, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) landing device with SMPBA was designed and manufactured to achieve UAV landing on and detaching from various surfaces. This study provides a novel switchable bio-inspired adhesive and UAV landing method.