Geckos can do so much more than save you money on your car insurance. They are agile little creatures that can easily climb just about anything, including objects made of smooth surfaces like glass. Taking a cue from nature, DARPA thought it might be cool if humans could do the same thing and initiated the Z-Man program, which looked at the gecko toe structure and mimicked that on their own climbing devices. …

DARPA apparently did something right, because they recently demonstrated these climbing paddles with a 218-pound man, who climbed up and down 25 feet of glass, all while carrying an additional 50-pounds. Devices like this will eliminate the need for bulkier, heavier and less stable climbing apparatus, thereby making life for soldiers in the field a little easier.