Student-built robot smashes 4x4 Rubik’s Cube world record in 45.3 seconds

Record-breaking run

A robot built by British brothers Matthew Pidden and Thomas Pidden has reportedly set a new speed record for solving a 4x4 Rubik’s Cube, completing the puzzle in 45.3 seconds — a time that it has been reported was certified by Guinness World Records and breaks a decade-old mark. The feat was first noted by Western tech outlet Interesting Engineering and picked up by Chinese media including IT Home (IT之家) and ifeng (凤凰网). How fast is fast? Fast enough to turn a student project into a global headline.

Design and mechanics

The brothers split responsibilities: Matthew led software and control, writing the algorithms that scan the cube, compute an optimal solution and sequence the moves; Thomas designed the mechanical structure and 3D‑printed many of the robot’s critical parts. The machine fixes the cube in a frame and uses four precision robotic arms, each able to rotate different layers rapidly while the system executes the computed sequence. The combination of vision, path‑planning and high‑speed actuation is what let the system reach sub‑minute solves.

From coursework to proof point

The project began as a course assignment at the University of Bristol and evolved through repeated testing and iteration. The brothers reportedly endured many failed runs before trimming milliseconds and stabilising the hardware to reach the record time. Beyond the headline, the episode illustrates a familiar pattern in robotics: university labs and student teams can push practical limits by combining clever algorithms, affordable fabrication (3D printing) and perseverance. What does this mean for robotics more broadly? It’s a reminder that rapid prototyping and cross‑disciplinary skills are lowering the barrier to high‑performance robotic systems.