THE CHALLENGE
A major challenge in adhesive technology is developing products that offer strong, reliable bonding while also allowing easy and repeatable removal—without damaging surfaces or requiring costly manufacturing. Most commercial adhesives force a trade-off: permanent glues offer strength but ruin surfaces or require harsh solvents to remove, while reusable tapes and gels are easy to peel but can't carry heavy loads or withstand long-term use. Advanced solutions, like microstructured or bio-inspired adhesives, show promise but are often expensive to produce, degrade quickly, or lack the ability to control stickiness across different areas of a surface. This limits their use in fast-growing markets such as robotics, wearables, packaging, and consumer products, where manufacturers need adhesives that are both durable and reversible, customizable at scale, and effective under varying environmental conditions—something current technologies cannot provide without compromising performance or cost-efficiency.
OUR SOLUTION
We introduce a breakthrough class of mechanically programmed “metamaterial” adhesives that solve the long-standing tradeoff between strong bonding and easy, repeatable removal. By using digitally controlled laser cuts to create flap patterns in standard adhesive films, we guide how cracks grow during peeling—achieving high adhesion strength in one direction and effortless release in the other. This purely mechanical approach works across common adhesives like silicones, rubbers, and hydrogels, on a wide range of surfaces including wet or rough ones, and maintains performance over many use cycles. Unlike chemical treatments or costly microfabrication, our maskless, CAD-driven process allows fast, low-cost customization of directional adhesion at scale. This unlocks new value in markets such as packaging, wall mounts, wearable devices, and consumer products—where reliability, reusability, and ease of use are critical.
Figure: 3D Design of the Adhesive.
Advantages:
Potential Application: