RuBot II
{{Short description|Rubik's Cube solving robot}}
{{notability|date=November 2024}}
RuBot II is a Rubik's Cube solving robot developed by Irish roboticist and inventor Pete Redmond.{{cite web |first=Bill |last=Christensen |title= RuBot II Robot Solves Rubik's Cube With Gusto |url=http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=764 |work=Technovelgy |date=12 October 2006 |accessdate=12 July 2018}} RuBot II is also known as RuBot II, the Cubinator. RuBot II became the world's fastest Rubik's Cube-solving robot,{{cite news|title=Tech Know: Meeting the makers|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8586675.stm|author=Mark Ward|date=25 March 2010|newspaper=BBC News}} and appeared as such in the Guinness Book of World Records.Guinness Book of World Records 2010, Guinness World Records, 2010, page 154 on the UK edition There are other Rubik's Cube robots too.{{cite web|last=Grubb|first=Ben|title=Meet Ruby, the record-breaking robot that solves Rubik's Cube|url=http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/meet-ruby-the-recordbreaking-robot-that-solves-rubiks-cube-20110601-1fgbc.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|publisher=Fairfax Media|accessdate=25 May 2012|date=2 June 2011}}
Pete Redmond has stated that although the robot was built for entertainment, the science behind it can be practically useful. The technology that helps the RuBot to see can also be used in other robots in places where it might not be safe to send people, like disaster zones, where a robot can be sent in to see and make independent decisions.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7220000/newsid_7220300/7220346.stm|title=Robot cracks famous puzzle|date=January 31, 2008|newspaper=BBC News}}
There are numerous YouTube videos of Rubot working on Rubik's Cubes, and its makers have given him some 'human' qualities, such as conversation to make these more entertaining.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-X1-qgzGJs |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/a-X1-qgzGJs |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=Man Vs Machine (RuBot II)|website=YouTube |date=27 November 2006 }}{{cbignore}}
RuBot II, the Cubinator, won a Guinness World Record for solving the Rubik’s Cube in the fastest time for a robot.{{Cite book |last=World Records |first=Guinness |title=Guinness Book of Records |publisher=Guinness World Records |year=2010 |edition=2010 |location=UK}}
Working
RuBot II, the Cubinator can easily pick up and solve the Rubik's Cube puzzle game in an interactive way. In a typical run, the robot is given a Rubik's Cube scrambled by a human. It then takes the cube and hoists it up to eye camera level, where it scans and records the configurations on all faces of the cube.{{cite web|url=http://www.livescience.com/technology/061011_robot_rubic.html|title=Robot Grabs and Solves Rubik's Cube|author=Bill Christensen|publisher=Live Science|date=11 October 2006}} The input configurations read by RuBot's cameras are run through Kociemba’s 2 phase algorithm to find a solution with less than 20 moves, the computation normally taking less than one second,{{cite web|url=http://www.mechatrons.com/rubot/|title=Mechatrons|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510123850/http://www.mechatrons.com/rubot/|archivedate=2010-05-10}} (Official site) and then works with it using its pneumatic arms. It can solve any Rubik's Cube in less than 50 seconds, and has managed it in a record time of 21 seconds. RuBot II has been nicknamed "The Cubinator" and "RuBot II, the Cubinator".
Creator
Pete Redmond is from Dublin, Ireland. He has worked as an avionics engineer for the Irish Air Corps. Pete has degrees in Computer Science, a master's degree in Engineering, and a Ph.D. from Trinity College. His other notable works include Diotoir and Nemesis from the BBC TV show Robot Wars, and RoboRiots.ie, and a combustion engine powered sprinting robot called Ulysses that set a world record on a BBC TV show called Technogames.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW3y_YIrdUE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/QW3y_YIrdUE |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=Technogames Sprint Final|website=YouTube |date=20 July 2007 }}{{cbignore}} (Youtube)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.mechatrons.com/rubot RuBot II home page]