Rubik’s cube still inspires engineers to create novel ways of solving it. Now, a robot has solved it in 15 seconds flat.
A team, led by Zachary Grady and Joe Ridgeway of Rowan University in New Jersey, has built a robotic arm and created software that which solve the cube in just 15 seconds, the New Scientist reported.
The system uses a camera to capture how the cube is scrambled and sends the images to a computer.
It determines the pattern on each face and algorithms are used to solve the cube. The solution is then translated to the arm’s pneumatics and motors.
Ridgeway was inspired by his own expertise, he can consistently solve the cube in about 45 seconds.
“We knew the device was capable of doing these movements,” Joe Ridgeway said.
The team designed the arm so that the cube could be held in one corner, allowing it to be quickly rotated without having to re-grip it after each move.
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Tiger may miss son’s 2nd b’day
London: Golfer Tiger Woods has upset his ex-wife Elin Nordegren after saying he will miss their son Charlie’s second birthday in February. The 34-year-old disgraced golf hero vowed to be there after he was in sex rehab and unable to attend Charlie’s first birthday party, reports dailystar.co.uk
“That hurt a lot. It was something I will probably regret for the rest of my life. I swear, I’ll never miss another one after that,” he had said. But the golfer is due to play in the Omega Desert Classic in Dubai in six weeks and flies out 24 hours before Charlie’s big day. A source close to Elin, 30, said: “She is furious that Tiger won’t be there again.” —IANS