In a tender to make an adhesive dapple that can be repeatedly used without losing its grip and work underwater or in a moist environment , researchers from Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea inadvertently uncover the magic trick behind one ofthe cephalopod mollusk ’s most impressive tricks .
The key to the success of their suction is not the shape of their cup or the material , but what is going on in the middle of the dimples . If you look closely , you ’ll see that at the very center of the octopuses ' suction cups is a little spherical protrusion . This is what makes them so just at clinging to surface , even underwater .
While test this in the research lab , the researchers used flat polymer sheet covered in pregnant chad , each containing empyrean of dissimilar size to see which ones were the stickiest . Publishing their results inNature , theyfound through trial and errorthat the well - sized cup were around 50 micrometers in diameter , which as it turns out closely couple what is seen on real octopuses . They then put their contrived version under the microscope for fully sympathise exactly how the suck is generated .
When the cup first attach to a open , a little bit of water system gets snare in it , fill the void . But when pressure is applied , the water is forced to the back of the cup , behind the area . This has the upshot of creating a vacuity chamber in the cup and thus allowing it to beat to even gravelly surfaces submerged .
The researchers hope this newfangled discovery will assist in the growing of adhesive patches , which could be used in plaster or underwater tape . The fact that they ask no mucilage makes them an ideal option for covering wounds , and they cultivate just as well when a surface is wet or ironical .
There is , however , still much work to be done to see if they can ever be used in a aesculapian or industrial context . One of the principal problems at the moment is determine a way in which the pressure created by the vacancy can be released , while another is simply the fact that while they retain their stickiness underwater , it is still not really as beneficial as other current product .
