• Biomechanics • Physiology • Locomotion • Adhesive Biomaterials •
Geckos can run up smooth vertical surfaces. By measuring the tiny forces involved, I and my colleagues discovered how they can do that. The discovery of how geckos stick lead us to design a new type of adhesive that is self cleaning and can function in the vacuum of outer space. One of our goals is to use the general principles we discover about the mechanics of locomotion to design legged robots that can run and climb. Click for radio interviews (NPR, CBC), media info, PNAS paper, and American Scientist review.
In 1990 I discovered that Frog Eyed Geckos from the Gobi and Taklimakan deserts in western China had the greatest fuel economy of any animal known. These nocturnal geckos can move more than 3 times as far per unit energy than other animals of similar size. I went on to study more species of gecko from around the world, and found that geckos evolved excellent fuel economy around 160 million years ago -at the same time that they evolved to be nocturnal. The evolution of excellent fuel economy may be one of the key features that allowed geckos to become nocturnal and diversify into the 1000+ species that exist today.
