Watch an HTC Desire and LEGOs Solve a 12-Sided Rubik’s Cube [Video]

A Megaminx is essentially a dodecahedral Rubik’s Cube–that’s 12 faces and 50 total moveable pieces. For comparison, the regular Rubik’s Cube has 6 faces and 20 moveable pieces. If having 6 more faces and 30 more moveable pieces than a regular Rubik’s Cube weren’t enough, on top of a less scary 6 color format, the Megaminx also comes in a 12 color format. So, what does one do when faced with solving the terrifying 12-faced, 12-colored, 50-pieced dodecahedron? Make a computer do it. Uploaded to YouTube by user ARMFlix, the above video shows a LEGO Mindstorms NXT construction called the “Megaminxer,” which when coupled with an HTC Desire running a custom Android app, solves the Rubik’s monstrosity. The HTC Desire takes a picture of each face of the Megaminx, processes the scrambled colors, works out the solution, then tells the Megaminxer’s controller via Bluetooth how to manipulate the dodecahedron in order to solve the puzzle. Basically, fancy computer magic.

(ARMFlix via Engadget)