A Mitsubishi Electric machine has cracked the notoriously challenging Rubik's Cube puzzle in less than a third of a second.
In the blink of an eye, computer-controlled components moved the squares of the 3 x 3 x 3 cube until each side of the block was a single color, thus completing the game.
Humans present applauded the feat.
Guinness World Records recognized the 0.305-second time achieved by the TOKUI Fast Accurate Synchronized Motion Testing Robot as a new world best, with it beating the previous record of 0.38 seconds.
Mitsubishi Electric received a certificate from the records body on May 21.
The fastest time by a human is 3.13 seconds, achieved in June 2023 by Max Park at an event in California.
According to a Mitsubishi Electric press release, the record-breaking machine utilizes a color-recognition algorithm, which was developed with proprietary technology, that enables the robot to accurately process color at high speed.
It also credited “compact, high-power, signal-responsive servomotors.”
The company said that the machine can rotate an object 90 degrees in 0.009 seconds.
One of the biggest challenges encountered by the team was the cube jamming as its components were being turned at high speeds. Adjustments were made until the robot could complete the actions without the cube breaking.
The Rubik’s Cube was invented in 1974 by a Hungarian sculptor. It became all the rage globally as a sophisticated toy that tests intelligence and dexterity.
Robots play a significant role in the Japanese economy and are well represented in pop culture. They have historically been used in factories for assembly, and are now moving rapidly into services as the country struggles with a labor shortage.
Machines can be found in chain restaurants bringing orders to tables, in hotels checking in guests and on streets delivering takeout food.
Mindar, a robot in Kyoto, offers Buddhist teachings.