This robot can solve a Rubik's Cube in just over a second, beating the world record

It looks like the Guinness World Record for the quickest time to solve a Rubik’s Cube by a robot could be broken by two software engineers, who built a machine that can unscramble the cube in just over a second.

Jay Flatland and Paul Rose from Kansas, Missouri, uploaded a video to YouTube this month showing their robot solving a Rubik’s Cube at an extremely fast pace.

“We’re in the process right now of applying for an official world record,” Flatland said in the video.

They built the machine using the Kociemba Rubik’s Cube-solving algorithm, which determines a set of moves to solve the cube very rapidly, Flatland explained. The robot also uses four webcams hooked up to a computer to determine the state of the cube’s colours.

It’s a regular Rubik’s Cube aside from the fact that it has six holes drilled into each of its side so that the machine can unscramble it, Flatland explained in the video.

Towards the end of the video, Flatland demonstrates how the machine works by covering one if its four cameras with a piece of paper since the robot can only work once all four cameras have visibility. He then jumbles the cube using his hands and places it back into the robot.

It manages to solve the cube in just 1.019 seconds.

Currently, the world record sits at 2.39 seconds, which is held by a Florida student’s robot.