Why a Rubik's cube solver?
The norm for many of the final year projects is to look up a project from a website,or ask a senior,a friend and do the same project,submit and finish off with engineering.
They select a project for which the code is either available,or there is some institute that will get their project done.
I didn't want something like this with my engineering studies.By doing a project that I want,I am wholeheartedly working on it.
I'm able to inspire my teammates to work wholeheartedly too.
We are at the Labs everyday working for the completion of our project.
It's great fun.
They select a project for which the code is either available,or there is some institute that will get their project done.
I didn't want something like this with my engineering studies.By doing a project that I want,I am wholeheartedly working on it.
I'm able to inspire my teammates to work wholeheartedly too.
We are at the Labs everyday working for the completion of our project.
It's great fun.
It's been a great month of learning and relearning from my mistakes.The hardware has undergone some very drastic design and function changes since when I first started and the code has nothing but bulked up.
On the whole,it's going great so far.
For someone new to the Rubik's cube,it is intimidating.
It's quite simple actually,there are tons of videos and websites available online that help you teach the technique for solving the Rubik's cube.
I strongly recommend you learn solving the cube(the beginners method will do for now) so that you can completely understand my project henceforth.
The basic steps involved in solving the cube is:
1. Solve for the cross
2. Complete the top layer
3. Finish off with the middle layer
4. Form top cross
5. Align the centers
6. Orient the corner pieces
7. Put the pieces in place
and the cube is solved!!
The basic movements used to solve the cube is (as per the "cube" notation):
NOTE: Before making any turn,imagine that you are looking straight at the cube and then make the turn.This will help you from not getting confused between the clockwise and anticlockwise rotation.
NOTE: Before making any turn,imagine that you are looking straight at the cube and then make the turn.This will help you from not getting confused between the clockwise and anticlockwise rotation.
R Right hand clockwise
R' Right hand anticlockwise
L Left hand clockwise
L' Left hand anticlockwise
U Top clockwise
U Top anticlockwise
D Bottom clockwise
D' Bottom anticlockwise
F Front clockwise
F' Front anticlockwise
The hardware arrangement are two stepper motors fixed to the Left and Right of the cube.This helps in performing the left and right movements.
There is another stepper motor placed at the bottom with a retractable mechanism to hold and release the cube.You can think of them as "fingers" that help hold and release the cube.
This helps in performing the Downward movements.
The stepper placed on the left and right are "fixed" to the cube.By this I mean that they are,as long as the cube is getting solved,are fixed to the cube.
Getting this arrangement is very simple.
A small metal cap is made and attached to the center of the cube.
Thanks to my teammate who has meticulously built the cap to fit the center dimensions of the cube.
To this is attached the stepper through a very strong neodymium magnet,something like an N52.
This helps hold the cube and also the rotations.
Another "hack" performed is that when the center piece of the cube is removed,it exposes a screw which helps hold the cube in order.
By loosening this screw a little,makes turning that side very easy.
This is one of the techniques that many speedcubers including myself use to reduce our solve times.
Another technique is to spray the insides of the cube with a little silicon gel.
The bottom stepper has a retracting mechanism.The mechanism is added because if fixed,there would be no way of performing the top and front turns other than including steppers here as well.
I don't want to use many steppers because for
1. They are heavy,
2. Heavy on our pockets
3. Each stepper needs drive circuitry because the ARM board with the 14mA current output is incapable of driving a stepper.
The retracting mechanism is not as shown in the picture but is turned 90° ,or as passing through the monitor.
Only by this can there be free left and right rotations.
The hardware arrangement are two stepper motors fixed to the Left and Right of the cube.This helps in performing the left and right movements.
There is another stepper motor placed at the bottom with a retractable mechanism to hold and release the cube.You can think of them as "fingers" that help hold and release the cube.
This helps in performing the Downward movements.
Getting this arrangement is very simple.
A small metal cap is made and attached to the center of the cube.
Thanks to my teammate who has meticulously built the cap to fit the center dimensions of the cube.
To this is attached the stepper through a very strong neodymium magnet,something like an N52.
This helps hold the cube and also the rotations.
Another "hack" performed is that when the center piece of the cube is removed,it exposes a screw which helps hold the cube in order.
By loosening this screw a little,makes turning that side very easy.
This is one of the techniques that many speedcubers including myself use to reduce our solve times.
Another technique is to spray the insides of the cube with a little silicon gel.
The bottom stepper has a retracting mechanism.The mechanism is added because if fixed,there would be no way of performing the top and front turns other than including steppers here as well.
I don't want to use many steppers because for
1. They are heavy,
2. Heavy on our pockets
3. Each stepper needs drive circuitry because the ARM board with the 14mA current output is incapable of driving a stepper.
Only by this can there be free left and right rotations.
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