Versatile Fastener Inspired by Burrs

Innovation: Industry

Velcro

1955

Image: Ales Me / Unsplash / CC BY SA - Creative Commons Attribution + ShareAlike

Attach Temporarily

Living systems must sometimes, temporarily, stay in one place, climb or otherwise move around, or hold things together. This entails attaching temporarily with the ability to release, which minimizes energy and material use. Some living systems repeatedly attach, detach, and reattach for an extended time, such as over their lifetimes. Despite being temporary, these attachments must withstand physical and other forces until they have achieved their purpose. Therefore, living systems have adapted attachment mechanisms optimized for the amount of time or number of times they must be used. An example is the gecko, which climbs walls by attaching its toes for less than a second. Other examples include insects that attach their eggs to a leaf until they hatch, and insects whose wings temporarily attach during flight but separate after landing.

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Patents

Hooked on You!

Explore resources for introducing biomimicry to young learners using Velcro, one of the most widely recognized examples.

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Velcro has tiny hooks that fit into small loops to create a secure closure.

Benefits

Use in multiple environments
Omnidirectional strength

Applications

Textiles
Clothing
Manufacturing
Medical devices

UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed

Goal 12: Responsible Production & Consumption

The Challenge

Many conventional fasteners create permanent changes to the textiles they are attached to. Additionally, common fasteners often only hold items together in a certain direction.

Innovation Details

Velcro® was inspired by burr seeds, which are covered in tiny hooks that easily attach to mammal fur. Similarly, Velcro has one side made up of tiny hooks, while the other side is covered in tiny loops. When the two sides are pressed together, the hooks attach to the loops and the two sides stick together to form a strong bond.

Biological Model

Burr is a seed from the Burdock plant that is covered in tiny hooks. These hooks make it easy to attach to an animal’s fur, allowing the seed to travel long distances before germinating. This helps the plant to spread its seeds over a wider area.