Today I read an article in one of my favorite papers – International Herald Tribune – about gecko tape. Gecko tape is inspired by… the gecko. And in the future will give us the possibility of sticking something to a surface and remove it again and again.
It’s amazing to read the description of how the geckos physique inspired the invention. As the article describes the technology is being protected by the inventors. Mark Cutkosky has a patent and his colleague Kellar Autum has several in the field.
I found a bunch of other articles describing how inventors were inspired by animals. Examples of this inspiration are:
· Swimsuits – inspired by shark skin
· Velcro – inspired by plant burrs
· Building ventilation – inspired by termite mounds
