Matthew Pidden, a 22-year-old PhD student at the University of Bristol, has dominated that because of his astounding success. His robot, “Revenger,” managed to solve a four-by-four Rubik’s cube—known as a “Rubik’s Revenge”—in just 45.305 seconds! This extraordinary accomplishment really just goes to show his incredible technical craft. He smashed the former world record of 1 minute and 18 seconds by an incredible 33 seconds.
Pidden was to spend 15 weeks developing and training Revenger as part of his bachelor of computer science degree. The robot uses two webcams to quickly scan the cube and an original face turning mechanism to accurately catch cube faces. Revenger runs on a self-built solving algorithm. This creative space of invention makes it possible to develop impactful, smart solutions to address the challenges and opportunities the four-by-four design provides.
The four-by-four Rubik’s cube, originally developed by Péter Sebestény in 1981, proves even tougher due to special cases that arise in its greater complexity. Revenger’s exceptional performance highlights both Pidden’s engineering capabilities and the advancements in robotics and algorithms that allow for rapid problem-solving.
In an interview with BBC Points West, Pidden confessed to being a Rubik’s cube obsessed child. He spoke about the inspiration that compelled him to create the undertaking.
“I was into Rubik’s cubes as a kid. For my final project, I wanted to do something I was actually excited about,” – Matthew Pidden
Revenger is able to solve the standard three-by-three Rubik’s cube in under a second. That is still short of the human record of 15.71 seconds. What Pidden accomplished with Revenger raises the bar in the world of robotic answer-keys to difficult mazes.
Whatever the robot’s success, it’s a shining example of what happens when passion meets technology. Pidden combined his passion for puzzles with his academic background to accomplish this impressive feat. As he moves forward, it remains to be seen how his innovations may influence future developments in robotics and algorithm design.