3x3 Speed Cube Specs

MiloD

MiloD

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I don't know about you guys but I definitely appreciate some more objective speed cube specs. "Cut's corners well" is a little too wishy washy for me as a mechanical engineering student. If anyone would like to help, I say we figure out how to identify some physical parameters of a cube that would most directly relate to its performance. perhaps a tension vs tolerance plot would be useful. If most cubes have similar plots then many simplifications can be made.

I think this type of information will help us build the uber-WR-cubes of the future.

I'll do some measurements on my DIY's when I go back to school.
 
Well, there are different ways of describing the cube...

There's the weight: heavy, hollow, light, stable etc

Tension: Loose, tight, etc.

Surface feel: slippery feel, "soft" feel (as if you rub charcoal, that kind of feeling?)

Sound: Silent, loud, "click click", "clack clack", "Wash wash"

There are different aspects that different cubers may prefer.

-Harris
 
Harris Chan said:
Surface feel: slippery feel, "soft" feel (as if you rub charcoal, that kind of feeling?)
Click to expand...

This is so true, I never really thought about it before. My normal cube is slippery, but my One-Hand cube is soft. Ummm... Do any other One-Handed cubers have the same thing, or is this probably not a good idea? I don't know, I love my One-Handed cube...
 
@harris and dene

you both missed his point

descriptions like soft/slippery/heavy etc
is exactly what he does NOT want

i'm far too lazy to run tests on my cube to give you numbers tho miloD. i suspect most people will be the same. at the very least, you could get numbers for yourself so you know to what specs create (or tune a pre-bought) DIY cube.

i suppose there are, on average, ideal values for each property of the cube relevant to speedcubing. actually, i doubt people's preferences vary that much, so the preferred values of all cubers would be fairly close to those #s. if you managed to find the values, you could start a new generation of DIYs :) it would probably take too much effort from too many people though
 
  • Weight (of kernel/edge cubie/cornercubie/whole)
  • Spring tension (at rest)
  • Maximum extension of centers
  • coefficient of static/ twisting friction of a layer
  • Cofficients of friction of (lubed) plastics (corner vs. edge, edge vs. center, corner vs. center, any vs. some standard other material...)
  • Coefficients of friction for sticker/tile surfaces.
  • Thickness of stickers/tiles
  • Luminosity of stickers/tiles?
  • Number of degrees that U can be turned [clockwise/counterclockwise] such that R can be turned with a single decisive stroke
    [clockwise/counterclockwise]. (Standard force?)
  • Force necessary to turn R' and cause a pop, with U misaligned clockwise at certain standard degrees (and the amount that R was turned counterclockwise before the pop).
  • Roundness of cubies ( "circumference" of corner cubie / (width of corner*4) )
  • Decibels produced by rotating a face 360°/sec continuously
  • "Perfectness" of the circle seen when the top layer is removed.
  • Distance the outer edge of an edge cubie must be raised from the plastic below it to pop (in cube shape/at 45°)
  • Force needed to insert a cubie into an otherwise aligned cube by pushing the piece in directly toward the core (edge/corner).
  • Number of spins done by the M-slice of a bare core with a standard impulse, and with L and R held by a standard tension
  • Tension necessary to apply to opposing corners to force a pop (make sure the faces don't start twisting first)
  • Total degrees rotated [in the direction of R] by M slice when L and R layers are turned independently anitislice-wise (gripped by the layers, not faces or centers) a certain amount.
All these depend on specific faces, cubies, angles, etc...
 
Last edited:
Now thats what I'm talking about! I'll try to get some numbers soon.
 
Hey that's what I was talking about, I just didn't go in such a detail like Lucas did (tight or loose can be measured by the maximum extension of centers, the spring tension (which changes overtime?)) :P

Or we can figure out, how long the cube will last. Eg finding out the change in the spring tension or shape of the cubies over a repeated move (R U R' etc) at a standard force (build a rig for this may be?) The type of plastic (the softer the better?

So now we're getting serious in manufacturing a high quality + consistency cube? It'll be like..."The science of Rubik's Cube" lol
 
Cubology? Or Rubikology? Sorry I can't add much to this. How about: if you're going to have numbers, you need a scale for certain things, eg: for '"Perfectness" of the circle seen when the top layer is removed' I think 0-10 would not be enough to get into the real nitty-gritty. Perhaps 1-40 would be more suitable (as going too much higher would really be going too far for human judgement, maybe 40 is too much). (please stop me if I have gotten the complete wrong idea about this).
 
I am going away for a week today, but I am going to take some measurements when I get back. I think there is a good amount analysis to be done on 3x3's, unless anyone thinks they already have "the perfect cube".:p
 
I have scrambled so many cubes, even for the worlds best. None of their cubes feel the same, so I don't think any measurements you will get will work for everyone.

I think I would win this bet: "If the best 25 cubers would put their cube in a basket, none of them will feel the same and every cuber can recognize his cube, just by feel"
 
AvGalen said:
I have scrambled so many cubes, even for the worlds best. None of their cubes feel the same, so I don't think any measurements you will get will work for everyone.

I think I would win this bet: "If the best 25 cubers would put their cube in a basket, none of them will feel the same and every cuber can recognize his cube, just by feel"
Click to expand...

Thats a good explanation Even though i havnt scrambled many cubes.


But if i closed my eyes and i compared my cube and my friends cube just by turning it i know which one is mines.

Also Everyones cube can be different but can cut corners I don't really thing alot of people will do all that.. I think to get a WR cube. Just plkay around with your cube.
 
AvGalen said:
I think I would win this bet: "If the best 25 cubers would put their cube in a basket, none of them will feel the same and every cuber can recognize his cube, just by feel"
Click to expand...
Ten bucks you're wrong. Another ten that that this test won't be done before the end of 2008.
 
I never knew you guys go into so much detail, i use a store bought cube, which is so bad, my yellow face turns amazingly, my blue face doesn't its never popped, but it doesnt cut corners, and i can still hit 23 - 29 second solves :P with a 4 look last layer :P
 
I know that I can recognize my cube from any of my friends, everyone treats their cube differently, and everyone has used it a different way and for a different amount of time. I think that just doing what feels best to your cube is what you should do, it is about what is best for the owner of the cube. But these measurements will be interesting when they come :P
 
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