Plastic suction cups need to be submerged in boiling water for only about 30 seconds before they should be soft enough to fully attach to a surface.

Unlike a typical plastic suction cup, a clingfish disc isn't totally smooth -- the edge of the surface resembles that of a tongue, covered in irregular features.

Suction pads come in a wide range of materials to meet specific application requirements. Common materials include nitrile, silicone, and natural rubbers, fluoroelastomers, and polyurethanes.

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (Jan. 31, 2013) -- Natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis can unveil points of weakness in man-made infrastructure, and now robots are being ...

The Yoolox suction cups are strong, too. They can support the full weight of an iPhone hanging upside down (although maybe don’t risk your $1,000 phone like I did).