Look at these four Rubik’s Cube Robots that set world records. Rubik’s Cube was created in 1974, and it has since become a fascinating ‘benchmark’ for both human and machine-based competitions.
1. Cubestomer 3 (made from LEGO)
LEGO robotics engineering that breaks all records! Over the course of 18 months, two LEGO fanatics (Mike Dobson and David Gilday) perfected the technology behind this incredible, world-record-breaking LEGO robot that solves a 3×3 Rubik’s cube in roughly 3 seconds!
2. Paul Rose and Jay Flatland Rubik’s Cube Robot
Paul Rose and Jay Flatland, two software developers, created this Rubik’s cube-solving robot. On February 5th, 2016, the machine shattered Zackary Gromko’s world record of 2.39 seconds by solving the cube in 0.9 seconds. Four USB cameras are used to send data into software running on a Linux PC, which identifies the cube’s state and relays it to the Kociemba Rubik’s Cube solving algorithm. The algorithm then generates a set of instructions for solving the Rubik’s Cube, which is sent to the stepper motors.
3. Sub1 Reloaded
The Sub1 Reloaded, designed by Albert Beer of Infineon, set a Guinness World Record in November 2016 by becoming the fastest robot to solve a Rubik’s Cube in just 0.637 seconds. This beats the previous record of 0.887 seconds set by a previous version of the same computer with a different processor. While every Rubik’s Cube can be solved in 20 moves, Albert did not design the computer to be as simple as possible. Instead, he coded it to beat the best time, allowing the Sub1 Reloaded to make extra moves to reach its objective.
4. Rubik’s Contraption
Rubik’s Contraption is currently the fastest robot to solve the Rubik’s cube. In 2018, the robot developed by M.I.T. graduates Ben Katz and Jared DiCarlo cracked the Rubik’s cube in just 0.38 seconds. The robot is made from readily available bespoke pieces. It makes use of six Kollmorgen ServoDisc U9-series motors, which can be found on eBay for a reasonable price, as well as optical encoders on the back, which can also be found on eBay. A pair of Playstation 3 Eye cameras were placed at opposite corners of the cube to identify the present state of the cube, allowing each camera to watch three faces.