U.S. soldiers must operate in all manner of conditions, including environments rife with physical obstacles that often require soldiers to rely on ropes, ladders, or other heavy-climbing tools.
To overcome this challenge, DARPA has initiated the Z-Man program.
Z-Man seeks to replicate the natural climbing ability that animals like geckos and spiders have. One of the main products of the Z-Man program is "Geckskin," a synthetically produced high-grip material. In a 2012 trial, a 16-square-inch sheet of Geckskin successfully attached to a glass wall — and managed to hold a static load of 660 pounds.