Cubli
Cubli: future planetary explorer or useless robot?
This winter a team at the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, ETH Zurich, Switzerland came out with a neat little gadget which could possibly have applications in planetary exploration.
Photo by Colossal
The Cubli is named after the Swiss-German diminutive for 'cube' and measures 16 cm in length on each side. What makes this cube unique is its ability to jump up, balance, and fall in a controlled way- effectively enabling the Cubli to go places few cubes have before.
The Cubli is capable of transitioning from a resting position to balancing on a corner by quickly rotating three wheels inside the cube and then suddenly breaking. An internal measurement unit (IMU) allows the motor torques to be precisely controlled to make the Cubli continue standing. This same torque also enables the Cubli to have a controlled fall, effectively enabling it to 'walk' across surfaces.
Photo by Colossal
While there may be potential for this technology in self-assembling robots, main collaborators Gajamohan Mohanarajah and Igor Thommen just think it's cool.
Want to see the Cubli in action? Check out the YouTube link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_6p-1J551Y
Further Reading:
"The Cubli: A Gravity-Defying Cube That Can Jump, Balance, and Walk | Colossal." Colossal. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
"Cubli: The Cube That Can Walk And Jump." MAKE. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
"Cubli the Robo-cube Can Balance on Its Corner and Walk across Surfaces | Science! | Geek.com." Geekcom. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
"KurzweilAI | Accelerating Intelligence." KurzweilAI Cubli a Cube That Can Walk Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
"Meet Cubli, The Cube That Walks." UPROXX RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
"Raffaello.name | Cubli." Raffaelloname RSS2. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
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