Tightrope walking bubbles

A fiber can hold a certain amount of liquid, which allows us to capture flying drops and control their motion. Immersed in water, a fiber can efficiently capture air bubbles only if it is hydrophobic. Using a superhydrophobic coating on an inclined wire, we experimentally control the rising velocity of air bubbles walking along the tightrope.~ We discuss the nature of the friction around the walker, and the resulting speed of bubbles.