Software engineers Jay Flatland and Paul Rose built this remarkable machine that can solve Rubik’s Cube faster than you can blink (1.047 seconds).
The duo use the Kociemba algorithm to solve the puzzle, and have drilled holes into the middle of each of the cube’s six sides to allow the robot to manipulate it.
To test the machine, its cameras are covered so they can’t see the cube until it’s properly scrambled.
Given a long plane ride and enough booze, I can just about solve a Rubik’s cube. The most talented humans can manage it in about five seconds; for a homemade robot, it takes 1.019 seconds.
Hardware-wise, there’s not much complicated about the robot, built by two hobbyists: there’s webcams, a few stepper motors, and an interface that lets the robot turn the cube. The webcams feed back into a well-known algorithm, which determines the fewest number of moves to solve the cube in the fastest possible time.
The 1.019-second robotic best time is being submitted for consideration as the new world record; while that’s being mulled over, the LEGO solvers have some work to do.
They are currently in the process of applying for a world record.
