In the blink of an eye: Japanese robot breaks Guinness record for solving Rubik's Cube

A robot in Japan has set a new world record for solving a Rubik’s Cube in the fastest time. Guinness World Records recognised a time of 0.305 seconds for the Mitsubishi Electric machine, breaking the previous record by 0.075 seconds.

The robot’s time was more than 10 times faster than the best ever human, which was set in June last year at a Rubik’s Cube speed solving event in California.

Korean-American Max Park took just 3.13 seconds to solve the 3x3x3 rotating puzzle cube – more than a third of a second faster than the next fastest human.

The time of 0.305 seconds achieved by the robot is roughly the same amount of time that it takes for a human to blink.

The latest record reflects the radical advancements made in the field of robotics in recent years. In 2009, the world record for a robot solving a Rubik’s Cube stood at one minute and four seconds.

Mitsubishi Electric said it achieved the feat using “compact, high-power, signal-responsive servomotors”, which allowed its robot to rotate the cube 90 degrees in just 0.009 seconds.

The main limiting factor for setting an even faster time is the physical properties of the cube itself. Early attempts were initially hampered by the puzzle jamming and breaking due to the speed and force applied by the robot.

“Shaving off time as much as possible was difficult, but it was fun at the same time,” Mitsubishi engineer Tokui, who led the record attempt, told Guinness World Records.

Yuji Yoshimura, a senior manager at Mitsubishi Electric, added: “Since establishing our Component Production Engineering Centre in 2016, we have been developing and manufacturing high-tech motors, power semiconductors and related products.

“To demonstrate our technical capabilities in achieving high-speed, high-precision windings, which are key to increasing the productivity and efficiency of motors used in many of our products, our young engineers voluntarily worked to set the world record, resulting in a Guinness World Records title, which has motivated our engineers to further develop their technical skills.”

Since its invention by Hungarian professor Erno Rubik in 1974, the Rubik’s Cube has become one of the most internationally recognised games in pop culture.

Selling more than half a billion units worldwide, the Rubik’s Cube remains popular throughout the world, with one of the most common Google searches in recent years being ‘How to solve a Rubik’s Cube.’

The Independent