Wide-end fibers and their adhesion performance in biological attachment systems

Certain small creeping animals and insects generate the necessary adhesion force through the hairs of their feet. In addition to size, the shape of the fibrillar structures dramatically affects adhesion performance. One must develop a mathematical model to represent the relationship between the characteristics of fibers, surface roughness and adhesion quality. This paper provides a mathematical model and shows that wide-end fibrillar systems (WFS) are more compatible with variation in surface roughness. These systems adhere better than conventional systems with simple cylindrical fibers. The optimum geometry of fibers for maximum adhesion is discussed in this article. The obtained results are in good agreement with biological studies and are applicable to guide experimentation to achieve optimum artificial contacts.