Slightly? Being able to hold the cube in any grip you want to start would cut serious time off your solves once you get to a high enough level. It wouldn't take too long for people to get used to it, sure, but it also makes previous records in events like 2x2 irrelevant since the time you spend picking up and dropping the cube takes up a very large portion of sub-1 solves in pyra, 2x2, or skewb. The major problem with stackmat times isn't that they aren't clean or accurate, its timer resets. I personally think that if we switched to YJ timers or if speedstacks adapted the button placement to be similar to the YJ timer that would solve the big issue with stackmats without changing the timing method entirely. Smart cubes and smart camera timers are also extremely expensive compared to regular stackmats. A speedstacks timer only costs around 20 bucks, while a smart cube can cost over 90 dollars.
Chris Tran made software that can turn any 3x3 into a smart cube by using a camera to detect the stickers on the cube. Just adapt the software that Chris already made and boom, there you go. This is, however, quite expensive and IMO unnecessary to have at a competition since stackmat timers have been used for nearly 20 years with the only issue being resets, which I mentioned could be fixed if we use YJ timers that have the reset and off buttons on the side and not the front.
What if you had two centers unsolved on the side the camera can’t see?
If you're putting your hands down on the table like it were a stackmat, then why switch in the first place? If the clock starts when you take your hands off the table, then you should just use a stackmat since its cheaper. If it starts when you move the cube, you can get an advantageous grip that gives you an edge you shouldn't have against competitors of the past.
Yes, it would. You don't need good hardware to get good times, plenty of people could theoretically get the world record average on a Guhong, good hardware just helps you get there, its not a requirement. If its apparently "No Different" when why does the WCA allow people to use different cubes but not allow people to start on different hand placements on the timer? Some large time improvements come from hardware advancements, but outside of the Qiyi square-1, and Hays 7, the other jumps just came from new waves of cubers or improvement in methods/individuals. It's also different since its an unnatural change. Cubing hardware improving is natural, but getting a sudden .2-.3 second drop in your times just because you no longer have to start from a standardized grip is not natural. Hardware is also different since its extremely subjective. People like different hardware and different hardware suits, different people. Starting while gripping the cube gives everyone an advantage immediately, unlike new hardware.
You could also use your stack mat timer with the smart cube. Although that is another layer of stuff to deal with which just makes it a bit more difficult to motivate yourself.
It’s actually a great idea you could get an official type solve time and get to watch your replays on the app
