Could something like this be contained in a box, so that each of the sides has these on it?

That way instead of just working laterally, and from the bottom, things could be done from multiple angles. For example, solving a rubiks cube via machine typically involves at least three axes and servos, but with a machine like this that operated on three axes, I imagine a more power efficient method could be developed.

This is really cool technology, I love how simple it is in design, yet it evokes all kinds of ideas in the mind.