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Purdue Students’ Robot Shatters Rubik’s Cube Solving Record
In a stunning display of innovation, a team of Purdue University undergraduates has engineered a robot that annihilated the world record for quickly solving a Rubik’s Cube. The Purdue Rubik’s Cube robot, dubbed “Purdubik’s Cube,” achieved an astonishing solve time, surpassing the previous record held by the Japanese corporation, Mitsubishi. This achievement highlights the potential of student ingenuity in robotics and Rubik’s Cube solving.
The Purdubik’s Cube: A Millisecond Marvel
The Purdubik’s Cube solved the complex puzzle in an incredibly swift 0.103 milliseconds. This dwarfs the former record of 0.305 seconds, set by Mitsubishi engineers.
- Astonishing Speed: 0.103 milliseconds
- Previous Record: 0.305 seconds (Mitsubishi)
“To give you some perspective, a human blink takes 200 to 300 milliseconds,” explained Matthew Patrohay, a student team member, in a Purdue-produced video. “So, we’re substantially faster. Human reaction time is about 0.200 milliseconds, meaning we solve it before you even realize it’s moving.” The fastest Rubik’s Cube robot has truly redefined the boundaries of speed.
Building a Record-Breaking Robot
According to a university statement, the Purdubik’s Cube was created by students from the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Unveiling at SPARK
The robot made its initial public appearance at SPARK, a university competition in December 2024, where it secured first place. The team then dedicated themselves to further perfecting the robot’s performance.
Guinness World Record Certification
The team, including Matthew Patrohay, Junpei Ota, Aden Hurd, and Alex Berta, received official Guinness certification for their accomplishment. They are now recognized as world record holders.
Patrohay playfully stated, “We currently hold the world record for the fastest machine solving a Rubik’s Cube, with a time of 0.103 milliseconds. We can consistently beat the previous record of 0.305 milliseconds with high reliability.”
The Limits of the Cube Itself
The team noted that the structural integrity of the Rubik’s Cubes themselves is now the primary bottleneck to achieving even quicker solve times.
“The cubes are literally falling apart,” said Patrohay. “The pieces break and detach.”
How the Purdubik’s Cube Works
Footage shows spectators activating Purdubik’s Cube with a glowing green button. A brief burst of sound follows, and the puzzle stands solved. The robot’s speed is so great that it outpaces the human nervous system.
To reach their record-breaking speed, the team developed a custom internal core that offered greater strength and could endure the immense forces involved while firmly holding the pieces together. Slow-motion video displays the Purdubik’s Cube expertly manipulating the puzzle by rotating its components with metallic arms.
Human vs. Machine: A Stark Contrast
The robot’s time eclipses that of the human world record holder, Max Park, who achieved a solve time of 3.13 seconds in 2023, a feat that was widely celebrated.
A contest between human and machine seems implausible. Given the speeds involved, any human attempt would result in torn muscles, shattered joints, evaporated tendons, and severe burns to the hands.
The human nervous system needs 0.2 seconds to transmit a signal—longer than the Purdubik’s Cube needs to complete the puzzle, reinforcing the robot’s astonishing capabilities in the realm of Rubik’s Cube solving.