Rubik’s Cube solved in just one second, by a robot

For proof of this, look no further than this robot created by Jay Flatland and Paul Rose.

Earlier, the fastest time to solve a Rubik’s cube by a robot is 2.39 seconds, achieved by a robot built by Zackary Gromko at an event at Saint Stephens, Bradenton, Florida, USA, on October 15, 2015. Four USB webcams scan the sides of the cube to determine its position, feed that information into a programme in Linux, and that is turned into a solution the motors can use to turn the cube. According to the Guinness World Records submission guidelines, it would need to meet the World Cube Association (WCA) rules to be considered. Unfortunately for anyone aspiring to be the next record holder, humanity’s best doesn’t hold a candle to the skills of a homemade robot.

A quick glance at the World Cube Association record page shows the time to solve a 3×3 Cube dropping quickly over the past 7-8 years. So, that means that once Flatland and Rose officially demonstrate their robot’s Rubik’s Cube-solving prowess in front of an official Guinness official, they’ll leave with the record in tow.

The creators have applied for a world record for their robots ability to solve the puzzle so quickly. That came after Flatland covered the robot’s cameras with a piece of paper and scrambled the cube by hand before replacing it in the frame.

The algorithm mentioned is a rather well-known program among Rubik’s Cube enthusiasts that run calculations and pinpoints the least number of moves required to solve the cube in a timely manner.