Cubli
Building cubes that can jump up and balance
The Cubli is a 15 × 15 × 15 cm cube that can jump up and balance on its corner. Reaction wheels mounted on three faces of the cube rotate at high angular velocities and then brake suddenly, causing the Cubli to jump up. Once the Cubli has almost reached the corner stand up position, controlled motor torques are applied to make it balance on its corner. In addition to balancing, the motor torques can also be used to achieve a controlled fall such that the Cubli can be commanded to fall in any arbitrary direction. Combining these three abilities -- jumping up, balancing, and controlled falling -- the Cubli is able to 'walk'.
The Cubli (illustration)
The Cubli jump-up strategy: (Left) Flat to Edge: Initially lying flat on its face, the Cubli jumps up to stand on its edge. (Right) Edge to Corner: The Cubli goes from balancing on an edge to balancing on a corner.
Projects
This is no longer an active project. For further information please contact external page Michael Muehlebach directly.
