Abstract : Since its invention in 1974, the Rubik’s Cube has challenged users to solve a colorful puzzle in record time. While humans have managed to solve the puzzle in as little as 4.69 seconds, robots are able to do so in under a second. This seemingly impossible puzzle can be solved amazingly quickly through the use of algorithms - sequences of moves that move specific pieces of the puzzle from one location to another. We developed a Rubik’s Cube solving robot that implements such algorithms on an FPGA. The FPGA interfaces with two RGB color sensors to sequentially observe each sticker of the Rubik’s Cube in a scrambled state. We implemented a method for taking this raw data and translating it into a representation of the scrambled state of the puzzle. We then implemented an algorithm that takes as input the scrambled state of the Rubik’s Cube and outputs a sequence of moves that solve the Rubik’s Cube. This output is translated into a series of instructions for six stepper motors that interact with the Rubik’s Cube. Each stepper motor, controlled by stepper motor drivers connected to the FPGA, turns a face of the puzzle. The stepper motors execute the moves produced by the algorithm for solving the Rubik’s Cube, fully solving the puzzle.
? Many of these existing machines, the importance of our work lies in the uniqueness of our implementation.
? Aside from physical design, existing robots all vary in their software infrastructure, peripherals, and hardware-software interface.
? Some projects place emphasis on advanced programming to make up for simplistic hardware, while others focus on system portability or overall speed.
? The Mind Storm robot creator had to design color recognition software from scratch because there was no pre-existing computer software that worked for the purpose.
? There are several types of motors that can be used in a robot system, each with their advantages and disadvantages
? A problem with wave drive is that it does not recruit the maximum torque output from the motor because only one phase is active at any given time.
? Our issues with this design is that each side of the cube would have to have a camera in order to visualize each side because there would be no flipping involved.
? The only issue with the design of our cube is that only 3 faces of the cube can be rotated without flipping the cube into a new direction.
• When solving a Rubik’s cube there are many algorithms that can be used to get a possible solution.
• This project will compare two algorithms with different purposes and investigate the effect it has on the energy consumption of the robot.
• The Purpose of this project is to investigate the effect the algorithm choice may have on energy usage of a physical robot.
• The purpose of this method is to place a cube in the correct orientation of a corner when it is in the specified column.
• It is used to completely solve the first face(Top) of the cube.
? Physical design options such as additional motors or grippers will improve the solving speed by reducing the number of times the cube must be reoriented prior to manipulation.
? While physical and structural design undoubtedly play a role in robot performance, the solving speed and accuracy are perhaps most greatly affected by the software and programming.
? Although our goal for system performance isn’t to set a world record, these designs appeal to us because they would allow us to easily manipulate each side of the cube without a claw or gripping device.
? Many factors such as cost, complexity, and performance will influence what kind of processing platform is necessary for a robot.
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