The Cubli isn’t a watch, but if you love mechanical timepieces you are going to love this robotic cube. Designed in Zurich and no doubt somewhat inspired by mechanical watch movements, the Cubli is an ultra-modern robot that feels like what happens in Switzerland when people with a focus on the past also focus on the future. When I imagine how the watch industry can better interact with the technology industry I think of something like this.
What is Cubli? It is a 15cm perfect cube that moves by itself using a series of spinning wheels. The wheels create momentum but also provide balance due to the power of centripetal force. Not being a physicist I am not going to even attempt to explain how it works using all of the proper terms. What you need to know is that it is amazing to see in action. The result is a cube that “walks” and can stay balanced on a point, even on moving surfaces. In addition to moving and balancing, the Cubli can also jump.
Inside the Cubli are what the makers refer to as “reaction wheels” and there are three of them (one for each dimension of movement). Each is connected to a powerful electric motor with an impressive level of torque as well as breaking power. For the Cubli to be so agile, the motors and system must be extremely responsive. In fact, the rapid breaking and relative velocity created by the motors are what allow for the Cubli to not only jump but remain balanced.
No deep understanding of science is required to realize that the Cubli is a testament to the power of inertia. What is perhaps the most exciting feature of the Cubli is its ability to balance itself while resisting force. The system is similar to a gyroscope in that the Cubli uses its core as a central balance point. When balanced on a point of the cube, the video shows how you can try to knock it out of place and it will resist the force and return to its balanced position. In addition to the reaction wheels and motors, a complex algorithm which processes information in real time is what makes the Cubli a reality.
The reaction wheels look a lot like balance wheels in mechanical watch movements. Given that the Cubli was created in Switzerland and the people who created it are at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich school (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), they are no doubt familiar with timepieces. The student project was under the oversight of professor Raffaello D’Adrea. In fact, the Cubli sort of looks like a cubical watch movement… but with circuit boards and wires. For a long time, I’ve felt that watch brands ought to work with the creators of technology such as this. It might help make mechanical timepieces feel more relevant to the modern world and less like “traditional technology.” For sure, there is a big and welcome place for the “classic element” of timepieces, but not every brand can follow the same path as Breguet. Watch companies looking to focus on modern design and the achievements of contemporary thinkers may benefit from supporting projects like the Cubli and those like it.
Imagine how this system might work in a watch? Miniaturized, maybe you could have a watch that jumps around and balances itself? Or perhaps a new type of tourbillon that uses an inertia chamber to keep a balance wheel always upright. Truly, that would be like a very next level Zenith Christophe Colomb with its gimble-mounted oscillator. Now that would be something very cool. Having said that, while the people who made the Cubli choose to focus on its novel “coolness,” the technology obviously has wide applications in a range of areas.
The mechanical watch industry is both benefited by and held back by its focus on mechanical-only devices with little focus on anything electronic. The “be anything as long as you’re purely spring-powered” would imply some degree of connection to quartz watches, which is a big “no-no” in the world of luxury timepieces. Of course, watch lovers understand this odd fact while the concept will be confusing to everyone else. Yes, the more expensive you go in a watch, the less OK anything with electricity becomes. Having said that, isn’t there room for the right brand to cooperate with teams of people such as students of the ETH school or others who are doing stuff like this which has a logical connection back to pure horology? Like I said, devices like the Cubli robot really do take things like the “balance wheel” to a whole new level.