A team of Purdue undergraduates has smashed the world record for the fastest machine solve of a Rubik's cube with the absurd time of 103 milliseconds. For reference, it takes 200 to 300 milliseconds to blink, so if you watch the robot solving a cube, there is a good chance you could miss it.
The system uses machine vision for color recognition, custom solving algorithms optimized for execution time, and industrial-grade motion control hardware from Kollmorgen. Every move is executed with finely tuned motion profiles to maximize acceleration, deceleration and mechanical efficiency, resulting in precisely coordinated sub-millisecond control.
The students found that one of the most significant limitations to breaking the previous record of 305 milliseconds was the cube itself. They designed a custom internal core for their cube, which they call a Purdubik's Cube, to withstand the high-speed robot's movements. The team isn't done yet, as they want to refine their robot and get the time down to under 100 milliseconds.
Previously:
• Look how smoothly this mini-Rubik's Cube turns
• Teen solves Rubik's Cube in world record 4.69 seconds
• The math behind solving the Rubik's Cube
