Mathematicians Develop Tetrahedron That Lands on One Side

Speedy Summary

• Mathematicians have created a self-righting “monostable” tetrahedron, named the Bille, that always lands on the same side when placed on a flat surface.
• The concept was first proposed by mathematician John Conway in 1966, who theorized that an unevenly balanced tetrahedron could exist but never proved it.
• Gábor Domokos and his team from Budapest University of Technology and Economics achieved this breakthrough using carbon-fibre struts and ultra-dense tungsten carbide for precise engineering.
• Their creation required extreme density differences between material components – about 5000-fold – making it highly complex too build.
• Computational brute-force searches revealed candidate designs with uneven weight distribution, which were mathematically proven to exist before constructing the physical object.
• Manufacturing involved partnering with engineering experts and meaningful financial investment for precision design at micro-scale accuracy levels.
• The monostable property of their shape could benefit future spacecraft designs by improving stability in lunar landers.

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