1. An Artificial Gecko Foot Model

2. In The COMSOL Multiphysics Model Library
in the MEMS Module

3. An Artificial Gecko Foot Model
Traditional structural analysis but on the micro/nano scale
For pictures of a real vs synthetic gecko foot see for example:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences:

4. An Artificial Gecko Foot Model
CAD model
Assembly with identity pairs (yellow)

5. An Artificial Gecko Foot Model
Hexahedral Nonconforming Mesh

6. An Artificial Gecko Foot Model
Conforming mesh is default in COMSOL.
Nonconforming Mesh is Optional
not as accurate as conforming mesh but usually quicker to solve for

7. Basic contact force
and friction force
Constrained at other end

8. An Artificial Gecko Foot Model
85,000 degrees of freedom
Solves in 8 s using PARDISO parallel solver
Visualization:
Von Mises Effective Stress Plot
Deformation Plot
Core 2 Duo T9900 3GHz, using <1GB

9. An Artificial Gecko Foot Model
Conforming mesh
583,000 degrees of freedom
Solves in 101 s using PARDISO parallel solver
Core 2 Duo T9900 3GHz, using ~3.5GB