Growing up we quickly learn that a majority of insects (and spiders) possess the ability to move about rapidly up walls and remain on ceilings by walking upside down. This is contributed by their footpads being sticky with a specialized chemical so that no surface is limiting their movements across them. Recently, the University of California formed a team of engineers to understand and apply the same values behind a spider's ability to stick. They called it electrostatic adhesion. Their goal was to create an insect-scale robot that has the ability to maneuver with agility like you find in a cheetah while also being able to maneuver difficult terrain with little to no effort and avoid obstacles quickly. The engineers created the structure of the robot from thin, layered material that allows various bending and contracts when an electric voltage is used. In 2019, the same team showed the same demonstration when a cockroach-sized robot was created. It possessed the ability to hurry across a floor at a sustained rate of 20 body lengths per second. That translates out to be 1.5 miles per hour. What was interesting about this is the team was able to match up the cockroach-sized robot to the same speed as an organic cockroach. By applying two additional electrostatic footpads to the robot, adding an increase of voltage to either footpad increases electrostatic between footpads and surface. The end result produces a stickier footpad that bonds to the surface more so and causes the other portions of the robot to pivot around the foot. The trajectory of the robot gives operators full command because of the two footpads, allowing sudden turns using centripetal acceleration that can exceed other insects.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210702154253.htm
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