You are now watching: Rubinator - RuBot II

This is the second version of the RuBot (the Rubik’s Cube solving robot), created by Pete Redmond, an avionics technician with the Irish Air Corps. It’s very different to the prototype but it has to be the coolest looking robot solver ever. The RuBot II is able to accept a cube from a human. There are cameras in the eyes of the head that scan all six sides of the cube with its colour vision before the pneumatic arms start to accomplish the mission. It usually solves the cube in about 35 seconds (not including the scan) no matter how much it is mixed up.

The solving algorithm is taken care of by Herbert Kociemba’s Cube Explorer software. Cube Explorer is not one of the many programs which just simulate the cube, or solve scrambled cubes with lengthy maneuvers. Cube Explorer implements a sophisticated and very powerful algorithm. Given a scrambled cube of your choice, it produces very short solving maneuvers. This algorithm quickly provides a solving sequence of 19 moves on average (usually only one or two moves more than the perfect solution).

The algorithm which gives an optimal solution in the sense that there is no shorter solution is called God’s algorithm.

Rubik’s Cube is a mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the “Magic Cube” by its inventor, this puzzle was renamed “Rubik’s Cube” by Ideal Toys in 1980 and also won the 1980 German Game of the Year (Spiel des Jahres) special award for Best Puzzle. It is said to be the world’s best-selling toy, with over 300,000,000 Rubik’s Cubes and imitations sold worldwide.

Check out the latest and upcoming competitions at The World Cube Association. They organise competitions all over the world, but is also supported by national organisations, responsible for organising competitions in their countries.