The thermoplastics began melting at around 70 degrees Celsius (158 degress Fahrenheit), and that appeared to be the temperature that provided maximum tackiness for the robot’s feet. “Our technology uses thermoplastic adhesives, which are much stronger than those used in gecko-type climbing systems,” researcher Liyu Wang told New Scientist. It’s not exactly as graceful or speedy as the natural (or radioactive spider) solution, but it apparently works. This thermoplastic allows the footpads to flow onto the surfaces they come in contact with to form a temporary bond, providing the ability to grip to walls.

The secret to its success is in its footpads, which are coated in an adhesive that’s heated to melting point. Fumiya Iida and fellow researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. So fascinated, in fact, that scientists have built a robot that can climb walls while carrying up to five times its own mass. Fitbit Versa 3įor all flack that Spider-Man gets in his own fictional universe (particularly the 2007 film rendition…), there’s no denying that the ability to climb up walls is something we’re all fascinated by.

Spider robot video