Fun with metal blocks can 'sit, jump and walk'

Swiss researchers have created a metal mass that can "walk" or balance on a flat surface.

>>> Video: Metal blocks can 'sit, jump and walk'

According to Engadget, researchers at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich have "crammed" a series of inertial sensors and gravity wheels (also known as reaction wheels) into a cube of length each side is 15cm, named Cubli.

When one or more gravity wheels suddenly stop rotating, it causes the block to jump a short distance along its edges, all due to the centrifugal force from the wheels. In normal operation, the gravity wheel will act as a gyroscope to maintain the position of the Cubli.

With these wheels, the metal block can defy gravity, or an extraneous force can still tilt and balance on one of its eight corners. By repeating continuous movements, this metal block can use a series of controlled forces to slowly jump short on a flat surface.

On practical application, Swiss researchers say the technology could assist in exploring the planet in remote space. However, at the present time while still in the lab, Cubli is still a high tech toy.