In this article, we study the motion of a vertically fixed rapidly spinning roller chain that, after being released, “walks” a certain distance along the floor. We construct a two-dimensional model of the roller chain. By numerically integrating its equations of motion, we make predictions on the distances travelled by the roller chain, the code of the simulation being available online in the supplements. Finally, we compare the predictions with experiments, discuss the results, and suggest topics for further research.

No abstract