Justin Lloyd's Thinkering

Somebody needs to think about this stuff...

Archives for 2016

Paper – Operation of a Brain-Computer Interface Walking Simulator by Users with Spinal Cord Injury

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Operation of a Brain-Computer Interface Walking Simulator by Users with Spinal Cord Injury

Operation of a Brain-Computer Interface Walking Simulator by Users with Spinal Cord Injury

Today I read a published paper “Operation of a Brain-Computer Interface Walking Simulator by Users with Spinal Cord Injury”

The abstract is:

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) can leave the affected individuals unable to ambulate. Since there are no restorative treatments for SCI, novel approaches such as brain-controlled prostheses have been sought. Our recent studies show that a brain-computer interface (BCI) can be used to control ambulation within a virtual reality environment (VRE), suggesting that a BCI-controlled lower extremity prosthesis for ambulation may be feasible. However, the operability of our BCI has not been tested in a SCI population. Methods: Five subjects with paraplegia or tetraplegia due to SCI underwent a 10-min training session in which they alternated between kinesthetic motor imagery (KMI) of idling and walking while their electroencephalogram (EEG) were recorded. Subjects then performed a goal-oriented online task, where they utilized KMI to control the linear ambulation of an avatar and make 10 sequential stops at designated points within the VRE. Multiple online trials were performed over 5 experimental days. Results: Classification accuracy of idling and walking was estimated offline and ranged from 60.5% (p=0.0176) to 92.3% (p=1.36*10^-20) across subjects and days. In the online task, all subjects achieved purposeful control with an average performance of 7.4 +/- 2.3 successful stops in 273 +/- 51 sec (p<0.01). All subjects maintained purposeful control throughout the study, and their online performances improved over time. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that SCI subjects can purposefully operate a self-paced BCI walking simulator to complete a goal-oriented ambulation task. The operation of this BCI system requires short training, is intuitive, and robust against subject-to-subject and day-to-day neurophysiological variations. These findings indicate that BCI-controlled lower extremity prostheses for gait rehabilitation or restoration after SCI may be feasible in the future.

Paper – Multi-robot Cooperative Box-pushing problem using Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization Technique

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Multi-robot Cooperative Box-pushing problem using Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization Technique

Multi-robot Cooperative Box-pushing problem using Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization Technique

Today I read a published paper “Multi-robot Cooperative Box-pushing problem using Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization Technique”

The abstract is:

The present work provides a new approach to solve the well-known multi-robot co-operative box pushing problem as a multi objective optimization problem using modified Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization. The method proposed here allows both turning and translation of the box, during shift to a desired goal position. We have employed local planning scheme to determine the magnitude of the forces applied by the two mobile robots perpendicularly at specific locations on the box to align and translate it in each distinct step of motion of the box, for minimization of both time and energy. Finally the results are compared with the results obtained by solving the same problem using Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II). The proposed scheme is found to give better results compared to NSGA-II.

Patriotic zeal

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People confuse patriot with zealot and become especially confused when labelling themselves or anybody they disagree with.

Meditation practice

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I seem to be building a new origami cube sculpture.

There is something very meditative about folding thousands of little cubes while I zone out.

Watching – Warcraft

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I am not holding out much hope for this film.

Update: It was as bad as I thought it was going to be. Actually. It was worse. It was like a very long, quite boring trailer for a new expansion.

P.S. I love World of Warcraft (the game) and the RTS games.

The course not taken

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I was chatting with another freelancer at a networking meet-up the other day and we got around, naturally, to talking about our consulting/freelancing business.

“I have a course I offer that can show you how to create a six-figure freelancing business” said the contact “More than happy to give you 20% discount code too.”

“Six figures is a wide range,” I responded, “are we talking $900,000 or $100,000 here?”

“Closer to the $100K range.” replied the networking contact.

“$100K? Or closer to $200k?”

“I’ve had some people hit close to $200K.” clarified my networking contact, “Though I have to emphasize not everyone achieves that level so I don’t want to get your hopes up.”

“If you want to make a small fortune, first start with a large fortune.” I jested.

“I don’t get it.” said the networking hopeful, rather confused.

“If I sign up for your course with the generous 20% discount code, and I do really well at it, you will cleverly show me how to take a 75% pay cut.”

There was a long thoughtful pause.

“I’d like to know how you are achieving those results.” said the networking peer.

“I guess you’ll need to sign-up for my course, should I ever write it.” I smiled.

My word I am smug some days.

Worse than useless “reviews”

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If you want to purchase any appliance online, the search results from Google unfortunately look like a bunch of spam emails trying to sell you shit you don’t want by people who have never tried out the product.

Paper – Breaking the Barriers to True Augmented Reality

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Breaking the Barriers to True Augmented Reality

Breaking the Barriers to True Augmented Reality

Today I read a published paper “Breaking the Barriers to True Augmented Reality”

The abstract is:

In recent years, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have gained considerable commercial traction, with Facebook acquiring Oculus VR for \$2 billion, Magic Leap attracting more than \$500 million of funding, and Microsoft announcing their HoloLens head-worn computer. Where is humanity headed: a brave new dystopia-or a paradise come true? In this article, we present discussions, which started at the symposium “Making Augmented Reality Real”, held at Nara Institute of Science and Technology in August 2014. Ten scientists were invited to this three-day event, which started with a full day of public presentations and panel discussions (video recordings are available at the event web page), followed by two days of roundtable discussions addressing the future of AR and VR.

Onward! To the future!

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“Teaching our children.”

I think we should stop using that phrase.

I think we should start using “Teaching our future.”

Children are a commodity.

Everyone (almost) has one.

Everyone was one (probably).

But our future is precious, unique, and we only have one of those.

Studying – Baking mastery

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This month I am studying “Baking mastery – Desserts.”

Specifically I am studying desserts.

Again.

A month of desserts.

Won’t that be special?

My wife still remembers the weight gain from the last time I concentrated on desserts.

This is my 25th and 26th month (sometimes I do a month’s worth of studying in a month, and occasionally I do two months worth of studying in a month of real-time) of studying baking.

Uncommonly right

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The most common answer is not always the right answer.

It’s too easy to get trapped into accepting the common answer and never questioning it because you are supposed to accept it.

Wouldn’t it be better to go through our lives collectively asking:

“Is that true?”

“Is it still true?”

“Who says its true?”

“Hmmm… Interesting” *Warcraft goblin voice*

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I see two dramatic forces operating in the world.

On the one hand people are very interested in what their interests are and the global internet has facilitated that.

And on the other hand people are very interested in what their neighbours are getting up to and the global internet has facilitated that too.

We’ve always had these two forces going on.

Which way the needle is pointing is indicative of the level of fear within a culture that dictates what we’re using the global internet for.

Paper – Data-Driven Shape Analysis and Processing

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Data-Driven Shape Analysis and Processing

Data-Driven Shape Analysis and Processing

Today I read a published paper “Data-Driven Shape Analysis and Processing”

The abstract is:

Data-driven methods play an increasingly important role in discovering geometric, structural, and semantic relationships between 3D shapes in collections, and applying this analysis to support intelligent modeling, editing, and visualization of geometric data. In contrast to traditional approaches, a key feature of data-driven approaches is that they aggregate information from a collection of shapes to improve the analysis and processing of individual shapes. In addition, they are able to learn models that reason about properties and relationships of shapes without relying on hard-coded rules or explicitly programmed instructions. We provide an overview of the main concepts and components of these techniques, and discuss their application to shape classification, segmentation, matching, reconstruction, modeling and exploration, as well as scene analysis and synthesis, through reviewing the literature and relating the existing works with both qualitative and numerical comparisons. We conclude our report with ideas that can inspire future research in data-driven shape analysis and processing.

Watching – Kung Fu Panda 3

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Today I watched “Kung Fu Panda 3”

I think this series of films is starting to get very tired. It started out as a parody and cliché, now it has become a parody and a cliché of itself.

Trolling! Trolling! Trolling! Rawhide!

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I cannot decide if I am being trolled or these twits are actually serious.

“We’re recent graduates from [redacted.] We’re seeking an experienced CTO who has launched a few startups of their own and seen multiple successes and possibly a couple of successful exits. This CTO is a rockstar [sic] of cutting edge hardware design, robotics, machine learning and machine vision, capable of designing, building and writing a new operating system and developer tools for the hardware they design based on our ideas. A verifiable genius. A real hustler. We will put you in front of investors and you have to be good at pitching our company. You must have deep connections to multiple investors and venture capitalists. Do you think you can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us [the idea people]? You should also be willing to inject your own investment money of at least mid-six figures to demonstrate commitment. Do you honestly think your [sic] good enough to work with us? We are willing to put you on our calendar next week.”

Okay… so you want a naive version of Tony Stark then.

Yes I hustle.

Yes I can pitch to investors.

Yes I can put in my own money.

Yes I have deep connections to VCs.

Yes I can write the software and tools.

Yes I can do robotics.

Yes I can do machine learning.

Yes I can do machine vision.

Yes I can design the hardware.

Yes I have launched startups.

Yes I have had an exit or two.

Can I do all that at once to launch a business? No.

And no, I won’t be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you.

Swearing like a saler

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Most people use obscenity because they can’t think of what to say next.

I use obscenity to stop me from saying what I really want to say next.

When I am cursing up a storm I am never at a loss for words.

What I am really saying is “the thing that I want to say would be really hurtful, I’d rather look like an uncouth moron than ruin this friendship, relationship or business deal.”

Paying it backward

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I have worked with a number of clients over the years, and invariably, after a few months together, they offer me a more permanent role.

Frequently, during those discussions, I ask about my predecessors who filled the role (if there were any) and it is a rare hiring manger, project manager or client who can say something good about the person who was filling those shoes.

They were useless.

They were a bozo.

They were shit.

And that… is why I turned down your offer (no matter how generous) of making this a more permanent arrangement.

And why I didn’t put you on my list of past clients that people can use to verify my work.

And why I won’t be asking you (I always ask) for a short letter of recommendation that I can use when future clients come calling.

Lewis Black plagiarism

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“If it hadn’t been for that gorilla, I never would have figured out which bathroom I should use.”

A zookeeper shoots an animal and suddenly we forget about which bathroom to use.

This is the mob mentality at work.

Wisdom of the crowds my arse.

 

Relationship PTSD

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I attribute my voracious book reading, movie watching and music listening habit to my first girlfriend.

Not because she was an inspiration to me.

But because she was an absolute fucking bitch who repeatedly belittled me for not being well-read nor culturally aware, and chastised me about how slow (of thought) and uneducated I was at the time.

*sigh* The crap we are willing to tolerate when we are young, stupid and in love.

Watching – The Machine

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Today I watched “The Machine”

Didn’t know this was shot in Wales until I sat down to watch it. Whilst it has a reasonably good grounding in technology, the story just feels like a regular run-of-the-mill military technology programme abusing people and then ultimately the military losing control. It was rather “Hollywood predictable” and derivative of most stories like this.

 

Listening – Tetsuo & Youth

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This week I am listening to “Tetsuo & Youth” by Lupe Fiasco

10 hours after first listen: Eclectic hip hop sound with good production values. This isn’t a genre I venture in to very often because I find it to be bland. His lyrics can be dense at times, clever, and not something I expect from most modern hip hop.

Wish I could just get the instrumental to Mural.

Cheque please!

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I have refused to do business with at least three people over my career because after having lunch with them I realised I couldn’t stand to watch them eat, or worse, listen to them eat.

Eeeewwww

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I have to warn you now, eating fried onions and baked beans as a chaser to a raw fruit smoothie of berries and bananas is not an ideal combination.

Now I know what people mean when they say “I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.”

The chaser wasn’t intentional. I was cooking onions for tonight’s dinner of French Onion soup and having baked beans (on toast) for lunch.

Educating Lolita

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After many years of studying a variety of subjects I have come to the conclusion that education itself isn’t inherently boring, it is the people that teach that make education boring.

Dangerous kitchen

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The most dangerous trick in the kitchen that I have learned to date is the art of the 90 second dessert.

And unfortunately my wife is aware that I know this trick.

Molten Chocolate Cake

Golden Sponge Pudding

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Lemon Rice Pudding

Oh dear…

How sausage is made

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I begin almost every blog post I write with “So which fucking retard decided…” and then riff on how something came to be, my observations about the situation, or what the perceived problem is.

Then I go back and remove the opening words.

Making sausages is not a pretty sight to behold, but the outcome of the process is often something tantalising and savoury.

Dance for me little animal! Dance!

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My wife was playing with the cat earlier today but had to take a phone call from a friend in the middle of playing.

“Aw, Mao looks so unhappy and unfulfilled” my wife opined once Mao realised that the game was over and there was no more dancing cat toy to chase.

“Much like your current and past husbands then.” I responded.

Paper – Mobile Augmented Reality Applications to Discover New Environments

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Mobile Augmented Reality Applications to Discover New Environments

Mobile Augmented Reality Applications to Discover New Environments

Today I read a published paper “Mobile Augmented Reality Applications to Discover New Environments”

The abstract is:

Although man has become sedentary over time, his wish to travel the world remains as strong as ever. The aim of this paper is to show how techniques based on imagery and Augmented Reality (AR) can prove to be of great help when discovering a new urban environment and observing the evolution of the natural environment. The study’s support is naturally the Smartphone which in just a few years has become our most familiar device, which we take with us practically everywhere we go in our daily lives.

Watching – Mr Holmes

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Today I watched “Mr Holmes”

Interesting tale of a (fictional) person of staggering intellect and observational skills in their declining years. I found it very moving on several levels.

 

Hello! And goodbye!

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If you see me pop up in your “who viewed your profile” list it is a safe bet I was just tagged your profile with a “Facebook drivel” tag because you “liked” or commented on… well, on Facebook drivel.

Paper – Visualization of Large Volumetric Multi-Channel Microscopy Data Streams on Standard PCs

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Visualization of Large Volumetric Multi-Channel Microscopy Data Streams on Standard PCs

Visualization of Large Volumetric Multi-Channel Microscopy Data Streams on Standard PCs

Today I read a published paper “Visualization of Large Volumetric Multi-Channel Microscopy Data Streams on Standard PCs”

The abstract is:

Visualization of multi-channel microscopy data plays a vital role in biological research. With the ever-increasing resolution of modern microscopes the data set size of the scanned specimen grows steadily. On commodity hardware this size easily exceeds the available main memory and the even more limited GPU memory. Common volume rendering techniques require the entire data set to be present in the GPU memory. Existing out-of-core rendering approaches for large volume data sets either are limited to single-channel volumes, or require a computer cluster, or have long preprocessing times. Results: We introduce a ray-casting technique for rendering large volumetric multi-channel microscopy data streams on commodity hardware. The volumetric data is managed at different levels of detail by an octree structure. In contrast to previous octree-based techniques, the octree is built incrementally and therefore supports streamed microscopy data as well as data set sizes exceeding the available main memory. Furthermore, our approach allows the user to interact with the partially rendered data set at all stages of the octree construction. After a detailed description of our method, we present performance results for different multi-channel data sets with a size of up to 24 GB on a standard desktop PC. Conclusions: Our rendering technique allows biologists to visualize their scanned specimen on their standard desktop computers without high-end hardware requirements. Furthermore, the user can interact with the data set during the initial loading to explore the already loaded parts, change rendering parameters like color maps or adjust clipping planes. Thus, the time of biologists being idle is reduced. Also, streamed data can be visualized to detect and stop flawed scans early during the scan process.

Dance with the devil

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The problem with having read the Bible (couple of different editions actually) is that when people find out, they immediately think I am one of them.

Just because I have studied your beliefs it does not mean I belong to your tribe.

I am, however, a great believer in knowing which tune the devil is playing.

Mo’ money. Mo’ problems.

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I’m working on my third fortune because the other two weren’t large enough to handle my poor decision making process aspirations.

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