Multiscale modelling and simulation of the deformation and adhesion of a single gecko seta

Roger A. Sauer

Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, 2009, vol. 12, issue 6, 627-640

Abstract: A 3D multiscale model is presented which describes the adhesion and deformation of a gecko seta. The multiscale approach combines three models at different length scales: at the top level, on the order of several micrometers, a nonlinear finite element beam model is chosen to capture the branched microstructure of the gecko seta. At the intermediate level, on the order of several nanometers, a second finite element model is used to capture the detailed behaviour of the seta tips, the so-called spatulae. At the lowest level, on the order of a few angstroms, a molecular interaction potential is used to describe the van der Waals adhesion forces between spatulae and substrate. Coarse-graining techiques are used to bridge the scale between the model levels. To illustrate and validate the proposed gecko seta model, numerical pull-off simulations are shown and compared to experimental data from the literature.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1080/10255840902802917

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