Subject
9 entries
Robotics
Bookmarks
Learning World Model Learning: inverse dynamics
Inverse dynamics learning as part of a 'learning world model learning from scratch' series — teaches robots to infer what actions produced observed state transitions. A ground-up educational approach to the robotics data problem.
ROSplat: Real-Time ROS2 Gaussian Splatting Visualizer
ROSplat is the first real-time ROS2-based visualizer using Gaussian splatting for 3D scene rendering — custom ROS2 messages carry Gaussian parameters, GPU-accelerated via CUDA and OpenGL. Useful for robotic 3D scene reconstruction and visualization in real time.
Jim Fan: Foundation Models for Embodied Agents
Jim Fan's talk on foundation models for embodied agents — covering how large pretrained models can be adapted for physical and simulated agents that act in the world. Previews the Voyager and MineDreamer research that followed from his NVIDIA lab.
ARK Big Ideas 2022
ARK Invest's 2022 annual Big Ideas report lays out their investment thesis across five disruptive technology platforms: genomics, robotics, energy storage, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. It's both a market forecast and a statement of where ARK believes exponential cost curves will reshape entire industries over the next decade.
How a Kalman Filter Works, in Pictures
The clearest visual explanation of how a Kalman filter works — building from Gaussian distributions to the prediction-update cycle without losing the intuition in the math. A reference that makes the algorithm genuinely understandable rather than just computable.
NodeBots: The Rise of JS Robotics
Chris Williams argues that Node.js and JavaScript's event-driven model make it a surprisingly natural fit for physical computing and robotics. A 2012 manifesto for what became the Johnny-Five ecosystem.
Who Needs Photographers When You Have Robots?
NPR's 2012 piece on robotic camera systems deployed at the London Olympics, capable of shots no human photographer could position for. An early concrete case of automation entering creative/journalistic work at a professional level.
Maker Faire 2012: Robotic Orchestra
Personal video of a robotic orchestra at Maker Faire 2012. Automated instrument installations have been a staple of Maker Faire — robots playing real instruments is a rich space at the intersection of mechanical engineering, music theory, and software.
Self-Sculpting Sand: MIT's Programmable Matter
MIT researchers built 'smart sand' — 10mm programmable cubes with microprocessors and magnets that communicate with neighbors and self-assemble into 3D shapes from a physical template, then discard unnecessary grains. An early physical demonstration of programmable matter.