It’s not exactly the same as the Lego I remember, but it’s still pretty damn cool.

It uses a light sensor to detect the colours of the squares, then flips and rotates the cube to solve the puzzle. It seems quite simple, yet the idea of using one arm to flip it and then rotate with only one plane is quite ingenious.

Theres lots more detailed info, and sourcecode + instructions on how to make your own at TiltedTwister.com

It doesn’t use sticky pads, claws or magic but a technique called Electroadhesion (It’s basically a static charge, like you get from rubbing a balloon on your head) which allows it to climb pretty much any flat surface.

It looks quite cool and it would be awesome if it could suspend itself from a ceiling, but I doubt it could support much weight.

There’s a video over at bbc.co.uk and more information at SRI international