It is clear that in order for the synthetic dry adhesives to work, they will need to be mounted in a way that will allow them to come into intimate contact with the surfaces to be adhered to. One possible approach is to mount the dry adhesives on a compliant fluid filled membrane (something like a balloon, embedded in the sole of a urethane SDM foot). Past attempts to SDM parts with gel-filled cavities have not been successful, due to small leaks in the urethane. Embedding a balloon may eliminate leaks, though there may be other challenges to overcome such as material incompatibility and difficulties in successfully embedding the balloons.

-- WillP? - 14 Aug 2003