Kawasaki's Cube Con: The Robot Solving Rubik's Cubes with Ease

Kawasaki Heavy Industries has developed a robot named Cube Con, capable of solving Rubik's Cubes. Displayed at the Tepea Museum in Tokyo, the robot identifies cube colors and finds the fastest solution. Although sometimes slower than expert human solvers, Cube Con can solve any configuration in about 3 minutes. Visitors, especially children, are impressed by its capabilities. The Rubik's Cube, popular in the 1980s, has seen a resurgence in recent years.

What is the maximum time it takes for the Cube Con robot to solve a Rubik's Cube?

What was the cultural significance of Rubik's Cubes in the 1980s?