Disklike structures adhere to smooth surfaces: Spix's disk-winged bat

Disklike structures on the wrists and ankles of Spix's disk-winged bat adhere to smooth leaves using suction adhesion.

Biomimicry Taxonomy

	Move or stay put >
	Attach >
	Temporarily

Biomimetic Application Ideas

Suction-cup mounted assemblies with better adhesion, industrial vacuums for cleanrooms, robotic systems for material handling.

[Collapse all sections] Summary

"Several of the smallest bats, for instance, use [suction adhesion] to cling to smooth leaves, with disklike structures on wrists and ankles. In the 3.5-gram Thyroptera tricolor of Central America, suction provides the main mechanism; these bats' minimal reliance on other schemes such as the two kinds of wet adhesion that follow [Stefan and capillary] limits their ability to cling to anything but smooth surfaces (Riskin and Fenton 2001)." (Vogel 2003:427)

About the inspiring organism

Spix's disk-winged bat
Thyroptera tricolor Spix, 1823
[Spix's disk-winged bat]

Some organism data provided by: ITIS: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist

Bioinspired products and application ideas

Application Ideas: Suction-cup mounted assemblies with better adhesion, industrial vacuums for cleanrooms, robotic systems for material handling.

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Manufacturing, industrial engineering, robotics

References

Steven Vogel. 2003. Comparative Biomechanics: Life's Physical World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 580 p.

Riskin, DK; Fenton, MB. 2001. Sticking ability in Spix’s disk-winged bat, Thyroptera tricolor (Microchiroptera: Thyropteridae). Canadian Journal of Zoology. 79: 2261-2267.

Disklike structures adhere to smooth surfaces: Spix's disk-winged bat

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