A detailed 3D finite element analysis of the peeling behaviour of a gecko spatula

This paper presents a detailed finite element analysis of the adhesion of a gecko spatula. The gecko spatulae form the tips of the gecko foot hairs that transfer the adhesional and frictional forces between substrate and foot. The analysis is based on a parameterised description of the 3D geometry of the spatula that only requires 12 parameters. The adhesion is described by a nonlinear computational contact formulation that accounts for the van...