To design a robotic hand with a better grip, scientists at Stanford University in California took inspiration from gecko feet. The lizard’s toes are covered with tiny, hair-like structures, called setae. Each of these splits into hundreds of microscopic strands so small that their molecules are attracted to the molecules on other objects. This allows geckos to cling to most surfaces.

Researchers replicated geckos’ sticky ability by lining a robotic hand with material covered in microscopic flaps. The hand can grasp a variety of items, from a basketball to a raw egg. “Animals are really good at doing certain things,” says Amar Hajj-Ahmad, who studies mechanical engineering at Stanford. “Engineers are just trying to copy what they’ve done!”