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Swiss researchers created this amazing device, which they call the Cubli. By precisely spinning internal wheels and stopping them in a highly controlled way, the Cubli can do some incredible tricks.
Watching the contraption raise itself up is fascinating. From a position sitting flat on one of the faces, the Cubli first kicks itself up onto an edge. Next, it jumps up onto a corner by spinning up the reaction wheel perpendicular to the resting edge. If researchers want to make the Cubli “walk,” it basically does the same thing in reverse — reaction wheels cut out at the right time and allow the Cubli to fall in the desired direction.
This method of using reaction torque for stability is similar to the process used to keep satellites stable in orbit, the algorithms at work in the Cubli are completely different. There is interest in using robots based on this type of design for planetary exploration, but for the time being, Cubli is just a neat concept.
