Watch robot solve Rubik's Cube in 100 MILLISECONDS breaking world record
The incredible clip shows the pronged robots completing the puzzle in a mind-blowing 103 milliseconds.
2 Undergraduate engineering students from Purdue University in the US, Junpei Ota, Aden Hurd, Matthew Patrohay, and Alex Berta, worked on the project Credit: Purdue University
2 The lightning speeds mean the infamous Rubik's Cube can be solved faster than the blink of an eye Credit: Purdue University
Undergraduate engineering students from Purdue University in the US, Junpei Ota, Aden Hurd, Matthew Patrohay, and Alex Berta, worked on the project.
Their achievement has been recognised by the Guinness World Records site.
The previous record of 305milliseconds was set by a team at Mitsubishi earlier this year.
It was less than a decade ago when the record time by a robot dropped below a second for the first time.
The lightning speeds mean the infamous Rubik's Cube can be solved faster than the blink of an eye.
"We solve in 103 milliseconds," Patrohay said in a statement.
"A human blink takes about 200 to 300 milliseconds. So, before you even realize it's moving, we've solved it."
Patrohay said he was inspired by the super-fast minds of humans, who completed the 1970s puzzle long before robots did.
"I always say that my inspiration was a previous world record holder," added Patrohay.
"Back in high school, I saw a video of MIT students solving the cube in 380 milliseconds.
"I thought, 'that's a really cool project. I'd love to try and beat it someday'. Now here I am at Purdue – proving we can go even faster." Everyone sees the office- but you need 20-20 vision to spot 5 hidden utensils
The team redesigned the cube to make sure it wouldn't break apart when moved at such speed.
Purdubik's Cube - the name of the team's robot - used a machine vision system and special algorithms to see where the coloured blocks were and rotate them into the right slot.
The robot made its first public appearance at a student design competition in December.
But since then, the team behind it have made it faster and faster.
Nak-seung Patrick Hyun, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue, mentored the students.
"This achievement isn't just about breaking a record, it pushes the boundaries of what synthetic systems can do," said Hyun.
The current record held by a human is 3.05 seconds by seven-year-old Xuanyi Geng from China.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
9 minutes ago
- Reuters
Breakingviews - Thoma Bravo hails tech's ‘show me the money' era
TORONTO, Aug 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The cycle of technology fads is brutal. Once the darlings of public markets, given wide latitude to chase unprofitable growth, cloud software developers now seem pedestrian next to the incredible promise of artificial intelligence. Private equity firm Thoma Bravo's $11.2 billion mooted deal to buy, opens new tab human resources application provider Dayforce (DAY.N), opens new tab, disclosed on Wednesday, signals the end result of this shift: accept being a bit boring and transition into a cashflow machine, or become a target. Interest-rate hikes beginning in 2022 challenged the industry's 'expand at all costs' mantra: burning cash became more expensive, forcing a retrenchment that trimmed growth and valuations. Some firms have since regained speed, steadily beating, opens new tab Wall Street's revenue expectations by growing margins since early 2024, according to Altimeter Capital. Valuations, though, are still in the dumps. It might be a matter of measuring up to the next big thing. Bessemer Venture Partners research, opens new tab shows that, on average, private cloud software firms have taken about 7 years to hit $100 million in annual recurring revenue. Successful AI startups are crossing that threshold in just 4 years, or as little as 18 months for particularly hot breakthroughs. Just compare the BVP Nasdaq Emerging Cloud Index, which is down 10% year-to-date, to an exchange-traded fund tracking the AI-exposed Magnificent Seven stocks, up 7%. If you can't impress with growth, the next best thing is to at least throw off cash. Here, Dayforce has fallen behind its peers. The company is expected to achieve a free cash flow margin of 13.7% in the financial year ending this December, according to Visible Alpha. Rivals Paycom Software and Paylocity should notch margins of 18% and over 20%, respectively. Little wonder that Dayforce's stock had fallen over 25% thus far in 2025 before news of a potential sale arrived. Thoma Bravo's mooted $70 per share offer would represent a respectable 32% premium, valuing the company at a little over 6 times last year's revenue. That roughly matches the average multiple paid in deals across the industry in the second quarter, according to, opens new tab Software Equity Group data. Buyout barons can benefit from software investors' short attention spans. TD Cowen analysts reckon that Thoma Bravo could plausibly increase Dayforce's cash flow margin to over 20% while maintaining low-double-digit topline growth. If it can subsequently exit after five years at a multiple of between 6 and 7 times revenue, an average of where peers Automatic Data Processing and Paychex trade, its annualized rate of return could hit 24%, Breakingviews calculates. Dayforce struggled to meet public markets' 'show me the money' challenge. Private equity is probably happy to do the job.
Daily Mail
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Scientists discover new drugs that REVERSE autism symptoms
Drugs normally used to treat seizures could reverse common signs of autism, a new study suggests. The researchers looked at mouse models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which affects one in 31 US children and has seen a startling rise since the early 2000s. The team gave the mice Z944, also known as ulixacaltamide, a drug mainly being studied as potential epilepsy treatment. They found giving mice the drug just one time reversed signs associated with autism, including increased sensitivity to light and sound, stimming, repetitive behaviors, social issues and increased risk of seizures. The team also identified the reticular thalamic nucleus (RT), part of the brain's thalamus structure that is responsible for processing sensory information. Giving the mice the Z944 suppressed this area of the brain, stopping the autistic symptoms. The findings suggest the processes in the brain that control both epilepsy and autism may overlap, which explains why autistic people are more likely to suffer seizures. It's thought that autistic people are up to 30 times more at risk of developing epilepsy than the general population, which could worsen cognitive function over time and cause speech and social regression. Researchers at Stanford University found a drug being developed for epilepsy may quell certain signs of autism (stock image) The findings come as autism is on the rise in the US, up to one in 31 kids compared to one in 150 in the early 2000s. Experts have largely blamed the increase on doctors getting better at diagnosing the condition and more attention being paid to previously overshadowed groups like girls and adults. However, health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has launched a series of studies to pin down a definitive cause, suggesting pesticides, ultra-processed food and toxic metals could be to blame. About 3million Americans, or one in 100, are diagnosed with epilepsy, a neurological disorder that causes frequent, unprovoked seizures due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain. While one percent of Americans have epilepsy, nearly one in three autistic people have the condition. It's thought that the two conditions could be related due to shared genetic mutations and similar abnormal brain activity. In the new study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, mice underwent EEG scans, which measure electrical activity in the brain, and behavioral tests. They were genetically modified with mutations in their CNTNAP2 gene, which has been strongly linked to autism. Mice with these mutations had overactive neurons in their reticular thalamic nucleus, thought to be caused by strong currents in T-type calcium channels inside the neurons. Z944 is a T-type calcium channel antagonist, meaning it blocks these currents. Mice with genetic mutations showed less interest in social interactions, more repetitive grooming and hyperactivity. They were also more prone to seizures. However, mice who were given Z944 just once had decreases in repetitive behaviors and social isolation. They were also less hyperactive. But when researchers modified the mice to have more activity in the reticular thalamic nucleus, the autistic behaviors returned. The findings suggest Z944 quiets this region by blocking T-type calcium channel activity. The researchers noted Z944 could be used to treat both autism and epilepsy. However, the drug is not yet available for general use and is still undergoing clinical trials for epilepsy. It's also unclear how these findings would translate to humans. The researchers wrote: 'Future research should aim to elucidate how RT-mediated circuit dynamics throughout the brain influence the broader neurobehavioral landscape of ASD, paving the way for circuit-specific, precision interventions.'
Reuters
39 minutes ago
- Reuters
Nasdaq drops for 2nd day as AI jitters rattle tech investors
NEW YORK, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Tech stocks led declines on Wall Street, with worries about AI spurring debates about its future. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.2% over the last two days, the worst two-day fall since August 1st. The semiconductor index was down 1.4% (.SOX), opens new tab, while the information technology sector (.SPLRCT), opens new tab was the second biggest decliner in the S&P 500, sliding 1% on Wednesday. Market participants attributed the selloff to a range of factors including a technical pullback after driving much of the stock market's recovery in the weeks after the April 2nd "Liberation Day." Aside from AI concerns, analysts also cited deepening fears of government interference with companies, as the Trump administration looked into taking equity stakes in chip companies such as Intel in exchange for grants under the CHIPS Act. COMMENTS: CHRISTOPHER MURPHY, CO-HEAD OF DERIVATIVES STRATEGY, SUSQUEHANNA, PENNSYLVANIA: "I think it's more likely this is an overstretched pause than the beginning of a new rotation. The most notable trade midday was a seller of 20k+ Dec 100 puts as SPX rebounded sharply, suggesting investors are taking advantage of the pullback via selling puts rather than signaling a wholesale shift. For now, flows point to taking advantage of the sell-off as opposed to a clear reallocation of capital into new sectors." CHRISTOPHER VECCHIO, HEAD OF FUTURES & FOREX, TASTYLIVE, NEW YORK: "Tech stocks are sliding as investors pare back risk ahead of the Fed's Jackson Hole meeting, with traders reluctant to chase valuations higher into a Powell speech that will likely fall short of promising a September rate cut." "Fresh concerns over the durability of the AI boom, after an MIT study highlighted weak corporate returns and comments from OpenAI's Sam Altman cited excess buildout in the space, have added to the pressure." "If it's the start of a rotation, it's less of a 'growth shifting to value' or 'smalls caps over mega caps' shift and more of a 'classic defensive' posturing around economic weakness: bonds, gold, healthcare, and consumer staples are leading the way. If there was a time of the year for a pullback, it's now: over the past 10- and 20-years, the S&P 500 has averaged losses of -1.7% and -1.2%, respectively, during the August to October window." ART HOGAN, MARKET STRATEGIST, B. RILEY WEALTH MANAGEMENT, BOSTON: "Technology in general is up 40% from its April lows, and the group clearly got ahead of itself. Also, if there's anything to the market consensus that we'll see a Fed rate cut, then there will be room for other things to work as well – and there are 493 other stocks in the S&P 500 that are lagging the Mag 7 right now. So I think there's a bit of a rotation." "I don't know how long it will last, but if it does keep going, well, August and September (are) the weak period seasonally in which it could do so. Also, there are some people who are beginning to question the pace at which we need to be chasing AI capital spending. If you put all this together: when technology stocks take a breather, this is what it looks like. Nvidia and other blue chips in the group are seeing relatively steady drawdowns, but things on the speculative edge are clearly seeing more selling pressure. Palantir has gone from trading at 200 times sales to 150 times its sales, for instance." MICHAEL ASHLEY SCHULMAN, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, RUNNING POINT, EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA: "Tuesday' s U.S. technology stock swoon and its continuation today looks like multiple compression meeting a little margin math, but the timing makes it hard to ignore the new elephant in the server room. Names that had been sprinting on AI dreams pulled back hard, with Nvidia, AMD, and Palantir Technologies among the drags." "DeepSeek's update landed on Tuesday represents a serious cocktail of capability and availability and traders well remember the original harsh tech-market pullback DeepSeek caused when it was first broadly recognized in January of this year." BRIAN JACOBSEN, CHIEF ECONOMIST, ANNEX WEALTH MANAGEMENT, BROOKFIELD, WISCONSIN: "When you go from rally to rout, it shows how vulnerable the names were to even a scent of bad news. It could have been (Sam)Altman's valuation warning and then Meta restructuring its AI division threw fuel on the fire." SETH HICKLE, PORTFOLIO MANAGER, MINDSET WEALTH MANAGEMENT, INDIANAPOLIS: "I think we are starting to see a little bit of rotation. It's always healthy to see a little bit of a pullback to that way, the markets can kind of get re-oriented." "To me, tech was overbought. Maybe it was justified, but it could have been kind of a buy on the rumor, sell it on the news type of thing where we had tech runup into earnings. We had really good earnings, and now it's kind of natural for the market just to sell some of that good news." "I wouldn't be surprised if we see a little bit of rotation into some smaller cap or into healthcare names, or consumer staples. And to me, that's kind of a healthy rotation. But honestly, I don't believe it will be a longer-term trend. It'll probably be a shorter-term trend. I think we'll see money flow back into tech in the next couple months." PHIL BLANCATO, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, LADENBURG THALMANN ASSET MANAGEMENT, NEW YORK: "It's much more about profit-taking and temporary rebalancing here. If you get a Federal Reserve cut or a mention of it on Friday, this will reverse pretty quickly, but this is a lot to do with names pushed up to really lofty levels and profit taking across the board." STEVE SOSNICK, CHIEF STRATEGIST, INTERACTIVE BROKERS, CONNECTICUT: "The tech-led selloff that we saw yesterday resumed this morning. That said, dip buyers stepped in around 11am EDT and we've now recovered about half our losses. It's somewhat inevitable to expect them to arrive promptly, though it did take a bit longer than usual." "I believe that some of the early declines are related to profit-taking and risk squaring ahead of (Fed Chair Jerome)Powell's speech on Friday. That is merely rotation and relatively benign, though it gets magnified because of megacap tech stocks' heavy weighting in key indices. But some of the ferocity of the early drop was related to the President's calls for Lisa Cook's resignation." "Note that futures broke through their pre-market lows shortly after he posted on Truth Social. Markets were not perturbed that there are inquiries into the propriety of her personal mortgage applications. She gets a presumption of innocence until proven guilty, like any other person. But when the President weighed in even before the process began, then it raised the specter of politicization. That put markets on the wrong foot early, and negative momentum ruled again – at least for a couple of hours." ADAM SARHAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, 50 PARK INVESTMENTS, NEW YORK: "To see a little pullback here after a big move up is perfectly normal and healthy. If the selling gets worse then you'll see a rotation out of tech and into undervalued areas of the market like biotech stocks or healthcare stocks or small cap stocks because those areas have not participated this year."
