AI Designs Underwater Super Glue That Grips Like a Barnacle
1 min read
Summary
An international team of researchers from Japan and China has used artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to design super-sticky underwater hydrogels from natural proteins.
The AI algorithms were trained on data from more than 200 species, including bacteria and barnacles, to understand how to maintain stickiness in water.
The team then utilised this knowledge to create hydrogels that stuck strongly to uneven surfaces in both saltwater and freshwater for at least a year.
One formulation sealed a burst pipe under water for five months, while another stuck a rubber duck to the side of a seaside rock, in an analogue of how these materials could be used in medical applications or to repair ships.
Future potential areas of research include using AI to develop even stickier glues and exploring how these hydrogels could be used in medical applications.
