The Jerusalem Post

Frogs’ legs and Technion lead to smoother shave

- • By JUDY SIEGEL

Studying friction of surfaces that imitate tissues in frogs, crickets and salamander­s, researcher­s at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have discovered a way to improve significan­tly the process of shaving. Prof. Michael Varenberg, a mechanical engineer at the Haifa institute, and colleagues used their knowledge of tribology – the science of interactin­g surfaces in relative motion – to learn how these small creatures that live in wet surroundin­gs don’t slip on wet surfaces. An article on the research was just published in the journal Interface of the Royal Society of London for the Improvemen­t of Natural Knowledge (commonly known as the “Royal Society”). Surfaces that imitate biological textures were examined using a “unique device” built by Varenberg’s group that can take measuremen­ts while working inside a scanning electronic microscope. Among the forces at play are friction and adhesion. The device makes it possible to simultaneo­usly view at high resolution how different surfaces function when touching each other. “We use natural solutions as inspiratio­n for the developmen­t of new engineerin­g technologi­es relating to surfaces,” he explained on Wednesday. “We are doing this in cooperatio­n with biologists who give us data on the functions and complex structures of biological systems that we are trying to simplify and apply using technical means.” The Technion team learned that animals that live in a wet environmen­t improve their ability to hold on to things by removing liquid from the surface with the help of special tunnels that exist on the surfaces of their feet. It turns out that a similar problem exists in modern razor blades. A rubber stripe under the razors is meant to increase the friction so as to stretch the skin of a man’s face before the razor passes over it. This creates a closer shave. But when shaving foam is present on the skin, the friction is diminished, and this upsets the stretching of the skin. To examine genuine razor blades, the researcher­s took those sold in shops and replaced the original rubber stripe that functions like tiny window wipers with a rubber strip with a hexagonal texture that copies textures that imitate nature. The scientists built the stripe after examining the legs of frogs. They also studied structures on crickets and salamander­s. “The surface that we created in the lab is twice as efficient in increasing the friction with skin coated with shaving cream than the surface of commercial razor blades,” said Varenberg, who applied for a patient on this discovery he made with his student, Alexei Tzipaniuk. “Our surface is also more pleasant when making contact with the skin,” added the student, who carried out friction experiment­s on the skin of his arm.

 ?? (Technion) ?? THE RESEARCHER­S took razor blades and replaced the rubber stripe with one that copies textures that imitate nature.
(Technion) THE RESEARCHER­S took razor blades and replaced the rubber stripe with one that copies textures that imitate nature.

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