The "Gecko"

The "Gecko", originally uploaded by rodrigo_bravo_d.

Geckos have long fascinated engineers because of their ability to skip up

vertical surfaces and scurry along ceilings, yet without using any adhesive.

The lizards employ a mechanical principle called contact splitting. Their

feet have a pad of ultra-fine hairs, called setae, each of which are split

up into hundreds of flat tips.