Bioinspired Shape‐Memory Hook Fasteners With Programmable Interlocking and Silent Release

Reliable and quiet fastening remains a challenge in engineering, as conventional hook‐and‐loop systems provide fixed detachment forces, generate noise, and shed fibers during release. Inspired by the mechanical interlocking of burdock burrs and the stimulus‐responsive actuation of Mimosa pudica , we introduce a bioinspired fastening platform based on epoxy shape memory polymers (ESMPs). Two ESMP hook geometries—closed and open—were designed to enable thermally programmable, dual‐mode operation, transitioning between strong mechanical interlocking and rapid, silent, low‐force release through controlled heating. Systematic mechanical and acoustic testing under three detachment procedures showed that thermal programming enables rapid switching between moderate baseline engagement, significantly enhanced interlocking, and near‐zero‐force silent release. Finite element simulations incorporating a thermo–mechanical ESMP model and a stochastic loop generator reproduced the programming cycles and detachment behavior, validating the coupled influence of geometry and material state in tuning the response. Benchmarking against eight commercial fastener systems demonstrated that ESMP hooks achieve substantially higher per‐hook strength, broader operational ranges, and uniquely programmable detachment profiles. These findings establish ESMP‐based hooks as a new class of adaptive, bioinspired fasteners that offer programmable strength, silent operation, and reconfigurable attachment, enabling next‐generation joining solutions for soft robotics, assistive devices, deployable structures, and noise‐ or contamination‐sensitive environments.