Let's hold off on the inevitable comparisons to Spiderman for the moment, but being able to scale a vertical surface is a pretty neat trick that, until now, has been limited to the likes of spiders, insects and geckos. Now researchers at SRI International, with funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, have developed a new technology that enables robotic devices to scale walls. The technology even has a cool sounding name - compliant electroadhesion. The technology works by creating a negative charge on the surface being scaled and an opposing positive charge in the robot. Since opposite charges attract, the electrically controlled adhesion enables the robot to stick to various surfaces including brick, concrete, steel, drywall and glass. Researchers say it even works on dust and debris-covered surfaces, although its effectiveness diminishes greatly in damp environments. Demonstration units have been able to climb at a rate of about 25cm second. The military uses are obvious but there are many possible civilian applications as well ranging from inspection and service robots to window cleaning.