Capability of the original apparatus to exhibit steadily rotating motion

Ascertain whether the first LEGO-based upward-driven disk apparatus, prior to being damaged, can exhibit the steadily rotating state characterized by a stationary center-of-mass at mid-level and constant nonzero angular velocity, as observed with the second apparatus when the wheel normal force is finely adjusted.

Background

The paper reports observation of two symmetric steadily rotating states in the upward-driven disk, in which the center-of-mass is stationary off-center at mid-level while the disk spins at constant angular velocity. These states were achieved using a second apparatus that allowed careful adjustment of the normal force applied by the wheels via a screw mechanism.

The authors note that the first apparatus used for earlier experiments was damaged during transport and did not have the same adjustment mechanism. Consequently, they explicitly express uncertainty about whether the original apparatus could have exhibited the same steadily rotating behavior, highlighting an unresolved question tied to hardware configuration and force adjustment.