Another winner of the 2018 IERA Award is Perception Robotics from the USA. Its gripper, called 'Gecko Gripper', is based on the model of the gecko, which can climb up smooth surfaces. The reptile uses physical forces of attraction between the foot and the surface (Van der Waals forces). Based on work carried out by NASA (JPL) and Standford University, Perception Robotics, together with NASA-JPL, developed a gripping solution for the manufacturing industry based on this model from nature. In contact with smooth and rough materials, millions of tiny stalks on the robot arm develop a high adhesive effect, which can be used to move pieces of sheet metal or glass, for example. The Gecko gripper arm was used in sheet metal processing in 2017 - Perception Robotics sees an important future market in the manufacture of solar panels.