Biomimetics (3) ‘Gecko-type’ tape

They imitate those gecko feet
with their microscopic hairs*
– the tape’s stick’s strong,
but they can’t repeat
attachment and detachment long,
for the fine gripping structure tears.

For the gecko’s hairs can bend and spring
so their feet can stick and rapidly uncling.

Now the waterproof glue that mussels produce
has been found to improve the tape’s reuse:
so with polymer glue synthetic,
they’ve a waterproof tape that’s
stronger too –
both mussel and gecko mimetic;

amazing designs to imitate,
imperfectly duplicate.    
            
[*note: geckos’ feet have such fine hairs, themselves branching and ending in spatula-like structures and so its seems that they have enough contact area to exploit van der Walls forces, the weak short-range bonds between molecules to help them ‘stick’.]