NASA Tests Space Junk Collectors Designed After Gecko Feet

Gecko’s feet have helped scientists design a technology that could be used to clean up debris in space.

Gecko’s feet have helped scientists design a technology that could be used to clean up debris in space.

Researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have designed gripping tools that are based on the way gecko’s feet attach to surfaces.

There are very small hairs on the bottom of gecko’s feet that allow them to grip the surface they are standing on, even if it is uneven or vertical.

The scientists developed adhesive pads embedded with tiny synthetic hairs similar to the geckos. When force is applied to the pad, the hairs bend in a way that increases the contact area resulting in adhesion, and relaxes when the pressure is released.

The tools are designed for use in space to collect floating junk like metal parts that are posing a threat to spacecraft and satellites.

Aaron Parness, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory robotics researcher who is the principal investigator for the grippers is quoted as saying: "Orbital debris is a serious risk to spacecraft, including the International Space Station. This is definitely a problem we're going to have to deal with. Our system might one day contribute to a solution."

Extensive testing in zero gravity and total vacuum conditions has been successful and researchers now aim to incorporate the pads onto robotic equipment.