The Northern Clingfish Sucks
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Other than being a slimy devil, the Northern Clingfish sucks ... and it's really good at it.\\xa0
The Clingfish clings to rough and slimy surfaces, and it can hold up to 230 times its weight. Researchers from the University of Washington used it to build a better suction cup.\\xa0
According to the researchers, the new prototypes are stronger than their natural counterparts. The new suction cups could be used in applications that require a strong but reversible sticking force on rough or textured surfaces. I thought they were talking about large and disparate manufacturing materials. Nope, they meant whale tagging and shower caddies.\\xa0
Clingfish have a disc on their stomach that helps them to hold on. The rim of the disc is covered small hairlike structures that create more friction along the edge and helps the fish stick to rough surfaces. The entire disk is flexible and elastic, which helps them adapt and hold on to coarse, uneven surfaces.
The team has spent five years building a better sucker. Now, they want to take the next step. They have a prototype, but now they need an engineer who can further develop the design for specific applications in mind.
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