In their quest to transform mild-manered scientists into technology wielding superheroes, researchers at Cornell have created a device that could let them walk on walls.

The device uses the surface tension of water for adhesion. It’s inspired by a beetle that can stick to a leaf with 100 times its own weight. Basically you’ve got a small plate drilled with hundreds of micron-scale holes on top of a water reservoir. Current is applied to the plate via a 9-volt battery, which pushes the water up through the holes to form tiny bumps or droplets of water. The surface tension of those droplets makes the plate stick to virtually any surface. Reverse the current and the droplets retract, breaking adhesion.

It’s remarkably sticky. Researchers estimate that a one-square-inch pad would hold up to 15 pounds of weight.

Uses include shoes and gloves for walking on walls, and roll-out mats to stop bad guys in their tracks.

Link to Cornell Chronicle article