RuBot II

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RuBot II at Maker Faire RuBot II.jpg
RuBot II at Maker Faire

RuBot II is a Rubik's Cube solving robot developed by Irish roboticist and inventor Pete Redmond. [1] RuBot II is also known as RuBot II, the Cubinator. RuBot II became the world's fastest Rubik's Cube-solving robot, [2] and appeared as such in the Guinness Book of World Records. [3] There are other Rubik's Cube robots too. [4]

Contents

Pete Redmond has stated that although the robot was built for entertainment, the science behind it can be practically useful. The technology that helps the RuBot to see can also be used in other robots in places where it might not be safe to send people, like disaster zones, where a robot can be sent in to see and make independent decisions. [5]

There are numerous YouTube videos of Rubot working on Rubik's Cubes, and its makers have given him some 'human' qualities, such as conversation to make these more entertaining. [6]

RuBot II, the Cubinator, won a Guinness World Record for solving the Rubik’s Cube in the fastest time for a robot. [7]

Working

RuBot II, the Cubinator can easily pick up and solve the Rubik's Cube puzzle game in an interactive way. In a typical run, the robot is given a Rubik's Cube scrambled by a human. It then takes the cube and hoists it up to eye camera level, where it scans and records the configurations on all faces of the cube. [8] The input configurations read by RuBot's cameras are run through Kociemba’s 2 phase algorithm to find a solution with less than 20 moves, the computation normally taking less than one second, [9] and then works with it using its pneumatic arms. It can solve any Rubik's Cube in less than 50 seconds, and has managed it in a record time of 21 seconds. RuBot II has been nicknamed "The Cubinator" and "RuBot II, the Cubinator". [5]

Creator

Pete Redmond is from Dublin, Ireland. He has worked as an avionics engineer for the Irish Air Corps. Pete has degrees in Computer Science, a master's degree in Engineering, [9] and a Ph.D. from Trinity College. His other notable works include Diotoir and Nemesis from the BBC TV show Robot Wars, and RoboRiots.ie, and a combustion engine powered sprinting robot called Ulysses that set a world record on a BBC TV show called Technogames. [10]

Related Research Articles

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The Rubik's Cube is a 3D combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the Magic Cube, the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Pentangle Puzzles in the UK in 1978, and then by Ideal Toy Corp in 1980 via businessman Tibor Laczi and Seven Towns founder Tom Kremer. The cube was released internationally in 1980 and became one of the most recognized icons in popular culture. It won the 1980 German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle. As of January 2024, around 500 million cubes had been sold worldwide, making it the world's bestselling puzzle game and bestselling toy. The Rubik's Cube was inducted into the US National Toy Hall of Fame in 2014.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocket Cube</span> 2x2x2 combination puzzle

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professor's Cube</span> 5x5x5 version of the Rubiks Cube

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyraminx</span> Variant of Rubiks Cube

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megaminx</span> Puzzle

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubik's Snake</span> Rubiks puzzle

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Leyan Andrew Lo held the world record of 11.13 seconds for the fastest Rubik's Cube solve until Toby Mao in 2006 had a solve of 10.48 at the U.S. nationals competition in San Francisco. Leyan appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, where he solved a Rubik's Cube in 18.9 seconds. He also holds the former world record for the fastest blindfolded Rubik's Cube solve, at 1:28.82.

Nicolas Hammond is a British Rubik's Cube expert and businessman. He has lived in the US since 1986. He made the world's first Internet banking transaction.

Eric Limeback is a Canadian speedcuber. He is known for his 11/11 3x3x3 multiblindfold Canadian record solve, as well as his standard 3x3x3 blindfolded solving. Limeback was the first Canadian to record a sub-30 second official 3x3x3 blindfolded solve. Limeback began solving the Rubik's Cube in 9th grade. He graduated from Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in 2010. He formerly held the Guinness World Record for the most 3x3x3 cubes solved in 24 hours, 5800, set from 3–4 October 2013 at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feliks Zemdegs</span> Australian speedcuber (born 1995)

Feliks Aleksanders Zemdegs is an Australian Rubik's Cube speedsolver. He is one of only two speedcubers ever to win the World Cube Association World Championship twice, winning in 2013 and 2015, and is widely considered the most successful and greatest speedcuber of all time. He has set more than 350 records across various speedcubing events: 121 world records, 214 continental records, and 7 national records.

Anthony Michael Brooks is an American speed cubing champion. He specializes in the 2x2 cube and classic 3x3 cube, and used to be officially ranked in the top five in the world in both categories as recognized by the World Cube Association. Since learning to solve the cube in March 2008, Brooks has become known for developing advanced speedsolving methods as well as frequently promoting speedcubing in the media. While working as the Liberty Science Center's Speedcuber-in-Residence, Brooks set the Guinness World Record for most Rubik's Cubes solved underwater in a single breath, and also led the team that currently holds the world record for solving the Groovik's Cube, the world's largest functioning Rubik's Cube. In July 2017, Brooks was featured on the debut season of FOX's Superhuman TV show.

CubeStormer II is a robot built primarily with Lego Mindstorms and a Samsung Galaxy S2 for solving a Rubik's Cube. The project was commissioned by ARM Holdings and designed and built by Mike Dobson and David Gilday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lego Mindstorms EV3</span> Programmable robotics kit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cubestormer 3</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Fisher (puzzle designer)</span> British puzzle designer

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oskar van Deventer</span> Dutch puzzle maker

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krishnam Raju Gadiraju</span> Athlete

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References

  1. ↑ Christensen, Bill (12 October 2006). "RuBot II Robot Solves Rubik's Cube With Gusto". Technovelgy. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  2. ↑ Mark Ward (25 March 2010). "Tech Know: Meeting the makers". BBC News.
  3. ↑ Guinness Book of World Records 2010, Guinness World Records, 2010, page 154 on the UK edition
  4. ↑ Grubb, Ben (2 June 2011). "Meet Ruby, the record-breaking robot that solves Rubik's Cube". The Sydney Morning Herald . Fairfax Media . Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Robot cracks famous puzzle". BBC News. January 31, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Man Vs Machine (RuBot II)". YouTube . 27 November 2006. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.
  7. ↑ World Records, Guinness (2010). Guinness Book of Records (2010 ed.). UK: Guinness World Records.
  8. ↑ Bill Christensen (11 October 2006). "Robot Grabs and Solves Rubik's Cube". Live Science.
  9. 1 2 "Mechatrons". Archived from the original on 2010-05-10. (Official site)
  10. ↑ "Technogames Sprint Final". YouTube . 20 July 2007. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. (Youtube)
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