BallCuber Solves a 4x4x4 Rubik’s Cube in Minutes
Using nine stepper motors and a pair of Arduino Megas, this robotic device adds another layer to Rubik’s cube solving!
You’ve probably seen robots that can solve a Rubik’s cube (under a second here), and humans can perform this task in less than five seconds in some extreme cases. However, adding an extra layer to up the cube from the traditional 3x3x3 to 4x4x4 complicates things significantly. Now a robotic contraption can complete this variant of the colorful puzzle as well, thanks to the ingenious BallCuber.
This machine, as indicated by its name, consists of a spherical chamber into which the cube is placed. This forms a fixture for the cube, while a total of nine NEMA 17 stepper motors arranged around the outside manipulate the layers into place. Two Arduino Mega boards run the steppers via pair of RAMPS 1.4 shields, along with the proper drivers. Nine magnetic encoders are used for feedback.
In order to get the actual turning sequence, the BallCuber is first placed in and scanned by a separate camera unit. PC-based supervision software processes the images and an algorithm calculates the movements necessary for resolution. This keeps scanning hardware from interfering with the cube’s motion. Code for the setup is available here on GitHub.
The machine is able to finish the cube in around three minutes and 20 seconds, but creators Thibault and Florent hope to get that number down under the 1:18 mark to beat the world record. To accomplish this, they need high-speed brushless motors and higher precision 3D printing.