gecko-inspired-gripper-may-soon-snag-space-junk

Each of these is so small that it makes extremely close contact with the surface, forming a minute attraction on a molecular level. It consists of pads covered with not hairs, but microscale wedges made of silicone rubber--the same stuff that those fancy spatulas are made of. The handheld gripper consists of pairs of adhesive pads, whose microscale wedges point in opposite directions. The wedges lie flat, making super close contact with the object, and boom, adhesion.