Students at Purdue University in the US have developed a robot Rubik's Cube champion, capable of solving the famous puzzle faster than the blink of an eye.
Dubbed the Purdubik's Cube, this robotic system is now capable of solving a Rubik's Cube in just 0.103 seconds. To illustrate just how fast this is, its designers point out that a simple blink of the eye can take up to two or three times as long. The team has thus set a Guinness World Record. The previous record was held by a robot created by Mitsubishi Electric, which in 2024 took 0.305 seconds to complete its task.
This technological feat is the work of four students in electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University. To achieve it, they developed a robot with advanced computer vision to recognise the colours of the cube's different faces. They then had to develop tailor-made algorithms to optimise the puzzle solving time, while taking great care to ensure that the mechanical movements were both extremely fast and extremely precise. Most important of all, however, was to minimise the time needed between detection of the cube's initial state and execution of the movements required to solve it.
A first version of Purdubik's Cube was unveiled at a student competition in 2024, and the team has been improving it ever since, culminating in this extraordinary record. Beyond this performance, it demonstrates the possibilities offered by the combination of computer vision, artificial intelligence and precision mechanics. It paves the way for future applications where speed and precision will be essential, far beyond the simple challenge of a puzzle. – AFP Relaxnews
