[Freddy]

I'm hoping our friends outside of the UK can see this.

Watch Cambridge's record-breaking robot solve a Rubik's cube in just 3.25 seconds...

If you grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, it's quite likely that you may have spent many hours trying to solve a Rubik's Cube.

Now an engineer in Cambridge has built a robot that can complete a standard three- by-three cube in just over three seconds - setting a new world record.

It has been built by engineer David Gilday who works for technology firm ARM in Cambridge.

http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2014-03-17/watch-cambridges-record-breaking-robot-solve-a-rubiks-cube-in-just-3-25-seconds/

[Freddy]

This video on YouTube shows it briefly ...

[Art]

Yes, your 1st link came through fine. Quite impressive. Really shows the power of computers (and robots).

When my daughter was 5 years old she took my mixed up Rubiks Cube in hand and returned in a couple minutes with it solved!
I couldn't believe my eyes until I asked her just how she did it.
She told me that it was easy, then showed me how she removed and replaced those colored vinyl squares until each side was the same color!

(what was that old saying about more than one way to skin a cat?) Who could argue with the success of a 5 year old!!

[squarebear]

Is this genuine? I find it hard to believe the physical cube can move that fast. I remember playing with one of these and the little cubes often jammed against each other.

Anyway, that's nothing. I once solved a Rubik's cube in less than 1 second. Although, it did look like this when I started to solve the thing

[Art]

Steve,

This was from a robot that solved the cube in 2006! Although it's time wasn't record breaking, it was impressive.
One could only expect them to get faster in time!

[Freddy]

It's real. Rather than most people's method of trial and error, the software works out the shortest route so it will be far more efficient and faster. Maybe the cube is lubricated some how, but the mechanism seems to hold it in precise positions. I do know what you mean though SB, the cubes I had were pretty tight to start with, it would take a while before they moved more freely.