Reefa Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 You expect a lot of motion to result in an object actually moving, but Cubli is a little different. All the spinning and whirring going on inside this little cube keeps it from moving. The spinning reaction wheels inside Cubli keep it stable as it balances on a corner. It can even correct for a little nudge and walk across a surface with a “controlled fall.” The Cubli was designed at ETH Zurich — it’s 15cm on a side and is dominated by three spinning reaction wheels (one along each axis). Each wheel has its own motor and motor controller, which rev up based on data acquired by an array of inertial sensors. These sensors monitor the tilt and angular velocity of the Cubli at multiple points. That data is fed into an on-board processor, which then calculates exactly how fast each reaction wheel needs to spin to get Cubli upright. 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.Source:http://www.geek.com/science/cubli-can-balance-on-a-corner-and-walk-across-surfaces-1580559/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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