The MagikCube originates from an idea that came to us to have a normal-sized Rubik’s cube automatically solve itself. Right from the beginning we realized how difficult this would be seeing as all the components necessary for the movement and control occupied all the space of a normal cube. Therefore we decided to enlarge the cube to reach the optimal dimensions. The analysis of the spaces was carried out using Adobe Fusion 360, with which we were able to virtually assemble the various components, both structural and hardware. We therefore proceeded with the creation of the cube using a 3D printer. The material used for printing was white PLA and the printer used was a Geeetech Prusa I3 b, with which we printed the 4 different pieces in the necessary quantities. On average, each print took more than five hours and each piece has a 30% infill. Once the various pieces were printed, they were then polished. This was a process that took a very long time but it was necessary in order to have an efficient sliding mechanism in the cube. All the internal components (motors, drivers, ESP32 and battery) were placed on an internal support which also served as an internal frame, to which all the six central pieces of the faces were connected by hooking them to the motors.
One of the easiest steps was to make the system function: the cube interacts with the laptop’s bluetooth via the ESP32 where one of the necessary programs runs. The computer processes it and then sends the cube signals to perform the necessary moves - the cube’s drivers rotate the engines in order to accomplish these moves and solve the cube. Inside the cube, everything is powered by an 11.1V battery, which allows a fair amount of autonomy.