(click for hi-res)

RuBot II - The Cubinator

RuBot II - The Rubik's Cube solving robot. Yes, he really does solve Rubik's cubes. Known to his friends as The Cubinator, RuBot has to be the coolest looking robot cube solver ever. He has two cameras for eyes that scan the cube before his pneumatic actuated arms solve it. RuBot uses a very efficient solving algorithm that usually finds a less than 20 move solution in a couple of seconds. He usually solves the Cube in about 35 seconds (not including the scan) no matter how much it is mixed up.

Pete Redmond lives in Dublin, Ireland. He has an aerospace engineering background and has been building robots since 1996. His interests are in artificial life and the illusion of life through character. He is currently a PhD student at Trinity College Dublin researching robotic vision systems. Pete is the founder and director of Mechatrons, through which Pete designs and builds robots and artificial living machines for exhibitions, shows, TV and Film. Since 1998, he has been responsible for the World of Robots show at the annual BT Young Scientist Exhibition. With over 34,000 visitors, this is one the largest events of its kind in Europe.

http://www.mechatrons.com