Rubix Cube-Solving Robot May Open Wormhole

[Tom Goldman]

Rubix Cube-Solving Robot May Open Wormhole


Robots are cool when they do cool things. This one solves a Rubix Cube, but it looks like it should do so much more.

Robots made using Lego Mindstorms that solve Rubix Cubes are apparently yesterday's lunch, but The Cubestormer has a menacing aura that will make all other Rubix Cube robots toot in their trousers. This somewhat large machine will take any 3x3x3 Rubix Cube combination and wipe the floor with it in under 12 seconds.

The Cubestormer, which creator Mike Dobson has been working on for 2 years (in his spare time), is billed as the world's fastest Lego Mindstorms RCX Speedcubing Robot, and I've got no reason to doubt that claim. The reason I find this impressive is because I have a Rubix Cube I've been trying to solve since the second grade, and I've even been illegally swapping the stickers.

Lego Mindstorms are programmable construction sets that include sensors, motors, USB interfaces, webcams, and all that nerdy goodness. They've been used to design multitudes of creations, from robots that solve Sudoku [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/94177-Swedish-Hacker-Builds-Sudoku-Solving-Lego-Robot], to robots that are not involved with solving Sudoku, to even more robots that are entirely unassociated with solving any kind of puzzle-based task.

Mostly though, I like The Cubestormer because it looks like it should open a dimensional portal once it solves each Rubix Cube. Hopefully, Dobson is working on that next. The thing really is beautiful; when I first saw it, I thought I was looking at the Large Hadron Collider. Despite talk of any Rubix Cube combination being possible to solve in "x" amount of time, The Cubestormer really is a marvelous creation.

(Via: Engadget [http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/15/lego-cubestormer-robot-solves-rubiks-cube-in-sub-12-second-whir/])


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[Kajin]

Awesome. It doesn't need to be said, but someone certainly has to.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

I've even been illegally swapping the stickers.

You know it is easier to just take it apart and reassemble it back together solved, right? Anyway, that machine kicks my ass, think the fastest I ever solved a 3x3 was 50 seconds, and I got lucky with the first/last layers. I want to see it do a 5x5!

 

[Elesar]

Wait wait wait. Solves a puzzle, opens a portal to someplace else? Do you WANT this robot to summon the Cenobites?
Okay, obscure Hellraiser references aside, this sounds pretty cool.

 

[Insanum]

Ive been trying to do a rubix cube fore 8 months, And that one can do it in 10 seconds?

...must...not...make...a..."last...longer"...joke...

Still, thats a fairly good creation.

 

[Tolerant Fanboy]

The thing looks like some sort of command throne for an evil empire's orbital death platform. And it's being used to solve Rubik's cubes.

Spoiler: My opinion

 

[Moderationintime]

Looks like something that a pikman would appear out of suddenly

 

[fanklok]

Well sure I could solve a rubik's cube that fast if I had 4 hands, damn robot is cheating take off two of it's rotation thingies and lets see it still solve it that fast

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

Of course the next logical question is how long before someone a) gives it a gun, or b) allows you to have sexual relations with it.

Seeing what that thing does to a Rubik's Cube, I don't think any sane person would dare put their jibblies anywhere near it.

 

[The Great JT]

But can it solve Rubix Spheres?

 

[GodKlown]

It does appear to be an impressive move, considering the thing is made by Lego. Kudos to this guy for putting it together in his spare time to finally show those uppity jerks who make Rubik's Cube who controls all their base.

 

[Souplex]

If we keep making machines that are better at their assigned tasks than humans, what is the point of keeping humans around?

 

[Centrophy]

There's something intrinsically cool about that. It's nice to imagine a story that Dobson couldn't solve a Rubik's cube and was thus made fun of by his peers so in order to get back at them he makes the best Rubik's cube solving robot ever. I smell movie rights.

"We got a Dobson here!" - Obligatory obscure reference.

 

[Dogstile]

In his spare time?

I wish I was as geeky as this dude.

 

[dalek sec]

Wait wait wait. Solves a puzzle, opens a portal to someplace else? Do you WANT this robot to summon the Cenobites?
Okay, obscure Hellraiser references aside, this sounds pretty cool.

You sir are awesome. *High five*

This seem's kinda creepy...

 

[thepopeofatheism]

"We got a Dobson here!" - Obligatory obscure reference.

Jurassic Park?

 

[Erana]

Aww...
I'm disappointed now. I was hoping that by "opening wormholes" you meant something to the effect of how observation can alter existence, and by something being able to solve puzzles in such a manner, it would somehow screw up one of my favorite scientific theories.

Also (in thick Russian accent) It costs $400,000 to solve this cube in under 12 seconds.

 

[The_Evermind]

Fairly impressive but I would like to see it do it in under 4 seconds which is just about the limit of human achievement.

Every rubik's cube can be solved in about twenty moves considering an extremely fast 5 moves per second after instantly recognizing the best pattern gives you 4 seconds.