The RIGHT trousers! As Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers celebrates its 30th anniversary, scientists reveal how robo-trousers could work (and say they really would let you walk on the ceiling!)

It's been 30 years since the beloved British duo Wallace and Gromit embarked on their favorite adventures in The Wrong Trousers.

In Nick Park's 1993 stop-motion classic, Gromit receives a pair of “pre-NASA” robotic Techno pants from Wallace for his birthday.

They prove very useful when Gromit redecorates his bedroom, but cause problems when they fall into the clutches of the evil penguin, Feathers McGraw.

Although it's now set in the adorable duo's fantasy world, experts believe it could be made – and could allow wearers to walk on walls and even ceilings.

Dr Katie Reimer, a physicist and PhD graduate from the University of Leicester, said the real couple would use powerful vacuum suction on the soles of the feet, just like in the film.

The researchers examined what suction would be required to allow a full-grown man wearing pants to walk on the ceiling without losing contact

A secondary “sticking” mechanism can be added by making the sole magnetic, giving the pants back-up support when walking on metal.

Dr Reimer, who is now a policy advisor at the Royal Society of Chemistry, told MailOnline: 'In the world of Wallace and Gromit, the trousers belong to the former NASA.'

“We can assume that they can be used in space, so magnets could have a use in this setting because spacecraft are generally made of metal.”

As a physics student at the University of Leicester, Dr Reimer A Feasibility study of Wallace Techno trouserstogether with colleagues.

For the vacuum generator in the sole to work, there must be a slightly raised rubber insulator surrounding the boot, the team said.

This would create a cavity with a lower pressure than the surroundings when the vacuum is applied.

The vacuum generator in the boot of the pants, if powerful enough, would allow a level of suction that could allow people to turn upside down.

The researchers concluded that the pants are “scientifically feasible” – but they must be plugged into a mains power source or run for up to 20 minutes on a rechargeable battery.

In the film, Wallace describes the pants as “a precursor to NASA” because they were originally designed for use by astronauts for spacecraft repairs and other extravehicular activities. This detailed drawing from the Haynes manual indicates the presence of vacuum tubes in the soles (30) of the pants

The robotic legs can be pre-programmed to walk along a specific route, operated by the wearer while inside, or (after being skillfully conditioned by the penguin) operated remotely

“When we wrote the papers, we took into account the vacuum and battery technology of the time,” Dr Reimer told MailOnline.

“So I expect the pants to work a lot better today with the advances in batteries – the run time will be much longer than 20 minutes now.”

The team detailed their calculations in two Leaves For the university's Journal of Physics Special Topics, which allows students to apply scientific thinking to interesting topics.

However, they stopped short of trying to build the distinctive device, which appears to be made largely of plated steel, copper and rubber.

Other scientists have taken inspiration from techno pants to create versions aimed at helping frail people walk without falling.

Because it can cost millions of pounds, building the real thing must have a similar reason.

In the film, Wallace introduces these devices to his trusted companion because they're “great for walkie-talkies” — and allows him to put his feet up while his pet gets his exercise.

In the film, Wallace gives Gromit a pair of Tecno pants as a birthday present, envisioning him as a dog-walking companion, but Gromit does not like them.

Soon after, Wallace finds himself at the center of Feathers-McGraw's treacherous plan, leading to his famous line, “It's the wrong pants, Gromit, they've got it wrong!”

Gromit will have to contend with the latest technological innovations from his owner when the duo finally returns to the screen a year from now.

When Wallace's “intelligent elf” develops a mind of his own, it will be up to his dog to “fight evil forces and save his master,” as Aardman explains in a teaser.

The intelligent elf is expected to be an online version of the lawn ornament, capable of independent thought and movement.

Santa's sleigh can fly… with a few key modifications

As kids will tell you, Santa uses a kind of magic to complete his 99 million mile journey around the world on Christmas.

But a 2022 study found that his sled could likely fly without such special capabilities, with a few key modifications.

These include the wings of a commercial ship and an engine from a Saturn V rocket, as used by NASA under the Apollo program.

Santa's sleigh would likely fly if it had a few key modifications, including a pair of wings similar to those on a commercial airliner and an engine with thrust equivalent to that produced by a NASA Saturn 5 rocket or a 150 Boeing 747-400.

It would also have to move at 12,300 miles per hour (5,500 meters per second) — about 10 times the speed of sound — to generate enough lift.

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