The former Facebook executive talks about his 13 years at the company and who he’s working with now.
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Friday, November 22, 2019
Thursday, November 21, 2019
How to design and control robots with stretchy, flexible bodies
MIT researchers have invented a way to efficiently optimize the control and design of soft robots for target tasks, which has traditionally been a monumental undertaking in computation.
Soft robots have springy, flexible, stretchy bodies that can essentially move an infinite number of ways at any given moment. Computationally, this represents a highly complex “state representation,” which describes how each part of the robot is moving. State representations for soft robots can have potentially millions of dimensions, making it difficult to calculate the optimal way to make a robot complete complex tasks.
At the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems next month, the MIT researchers will present a model that learns a compact, or “low-dimensional,” yet detailed state representation, based on the underlying physics of the robot and its environment, among other factors. This helps the model iteratively co-optimize movement control and material design parameters catered to specific tasks.
“Soft robots are infinite-dimensional creatures that bend in a billion different ways at any given moment,” says first author Andrew Spielberg, a graduate student in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). “But, in truth, there are natural ways soft objects are likely to bend. We find the natural states of soft robots can be described very compactly in a low-dimensional description. We optimize control and design of soft robots by learning a good description of the likely states.”
In simulations, the model enabled 2D and 3D soft robots to complete tasks — such as moving certain distances or reaching a target spot —more quickly and accurately than current state-of-the-art methods. The researchers next plan to implement the model in real soft robots.
Joining Spielberg on the paper are CSAIL graduate students Allan Zhao, Tao Du, and Yuanming Hu; Daniela Rus, director of CSAIL and the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; and Wojciech Matusik, an MIT associate professor in electrical engineering and computer science and head of the Computational Fabrication Group.
“Learning-in-the-loop”
Soft robotics is a relatively new field of research, but it holds promise for advanced robotics. For instance, flexible bodies could offer safer interaction with humans, better object manipulation, and more maneuverability, among other benefits.
Control of robots in simulations relies on an “observer,” a program that computes variables that see how the soft robot is moving to complete a task. In previous work, the researchers decomposed the soft robot into hand-designed clusters of simulated particles. Particles contain important information that help narrow down the robot’s possible movements. If a robot attempts to bend a certain way, for instance, actuators may resist that movement enough that it can be ignored. But, for such complex robots, manually choosing which clusters to track during simulations can be tricky.
Building off that work, the researchers designed a “learning-in-the-loop optimization” method, where all optimized parameters are learned during a single feedback loop over many simulations. And, at the same time as learning optimization — or “in the loop” — the method also learns the state representation.
The model employs a technique called a material point method (MPM), which simulates the behavior of particles of continuum materials, such as foams and liquids, surrounded by a background grid. In doing so, it captures the particles of the robot and its observable environment into pixels or 3D pixels, known as voxels, without the need of any additional computation.
In a learning phase, this raw particle grid information is fed into a machine-learning component that learns to input an image, compress it to a low-dimensional representation, and decompress the representation back into the input image. If this “autoencoder” retains enough detail while compressing the input image, it can accurately recreate the input image from the compression.
In the researchers’ work, the autoencoder’s learned compressed representations serve as the robot’s low-dimensional state representation. In an optimization phase, that compressed representation loops back into the controller, which outputs a calculated actuation for how each particle of the robot should move in the next MPM-simulated step.
Simultaneously, the controller uses that information to adjust the optimal stiffness for each particle to achieve its desired movement. In the future, that material information can be useful for 3D-printing soft robots, where each particle spot may be printed with slightly different stiffness. “This allows for creating robot designs catered to the robot motions that will be relevant to specific tasks,” Spielberg says. “By learning these parameters together, you keep everything as synchronized as much as possible to make that design process easier.”
Faster optimization
All optimization information is, in turn, fed back into the start of the loop to train the autoencoder. Over many simulations, the controller learns the optimal movement and material design, while the autoencoder learns the increasingly more detailed state representation. “The key is we want that low-dimensional state to be very descriptive,” Spielberg says.
After the robot gets to its simulated final state over a set period of time — say, as close as possible to the target destination — it updates a “loss function.” That’s a critical component of machine learning, which tries to minimize some error. In this case, it minimizes, say, how far away the robot stopped from the target. That loss function flows back to the controller, which uses the error signal to tune all the optimized parameters to best complete the task.
If the researchers tried to directly feed all the raw particles of the simulation into the controller, without the compression step, “running and optimization time would explode,” Spielberg says. Using the compressed representation, the researchers were able to decrease the running time for each optimization iteration from several minutes down to about 10 seconds.
The researchers validated their model on simulations of various 2D and 3D biped and quadruped robots. They researchers also found that, while robots using traditional methods can take up to 30,000 simulations to optimize these parameters, robots trained on their model took only about 400 simulations.
Deploying the model into real soft robots means tackling issues with real-world noise and uncertainty that may decrease the model’s efficiency and accuracy. But, in the future, the researchers hope to design a full pipeline, from simulation to fabrication, for soft robots.
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Alfre Woodard, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Jonathan Majors and more nominated for Sprit Awards
The nominees for the Film Independent Spirit Awards are announced on Thursday and a few of our faves are getting the shine they deserve.
Alfre Woodard picked up a nomination for Best Female Lead for her role in Clemency, which is also up for Best Feature and Best Screenplay. Kelvin Harrison Jr. got a well-deserved nod for Best Male Lead in Luce and his costar, Octavia Spencer is up for Best Supporting Female. His other costar, Taylor Russell, earned herself a nomination for Best Supporting Female for Waves (which also starred Harrison).
See You Yesterday nabbed nods for Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay for its director, Stefan Bristol.
The Spirit Awards honor the year’s best indie films and performances and in order to be eligible, the project’s budget must have been $22.5 million or lower.
Check out the full list of Spirit Awards nominees:
BEST FEATURE
A HIDDEN LIFE
CLEMENCY
THE FAREWELL
MARRIAGE STORY
UNCUT GEMS
BEST FIRST FEATURE
BOOKSMART
THE CLIMB
DIANE
THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO
THE MUSTANG
SEE YOU YESTERDAY
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Karen Allen – COLEWELL
Hong Chau – DRIVEWAYS
Elisabeth Moss – HER SMELL
Mary Kay Place – DIANE
Alfre Woodard – CLEMENCY
Renée Zellweger – JUDY
BEST MALE LEAD
Chris Galust – GIVE ME LIBERTY
Kelvin Harrison – Jr., LUCE
Robert Pattinson – THE LIGHTHOUSE
Adam Sandler – UNCUT GEMS
Matthias Schoenaerts – THE MUSTANG
BEST DIRECTOR
Robert Eggers – THE LIGHTHOUSE
Alma Har’el – HONEY BOY
Julius Onah – LUCE
Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie – UNCUT GEMS
Lorene Scafaria – HUSTLERS
BEST DOCTUMENTARY
AMERICAN FACTORY
APOLLO 11
FOR SAMA
HONEYLAND
ISLAND OF THE HUNGRY GHOSTS
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Willem Dafoe – THE LIGHTHOUSE
Noah Jupe – HONEY BOY
Shia Labeouf – HONEY BOY
Jonathan Majors – THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO
Wendell Pierce – BURNING CANE
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Jennifer Lopez – HUSTLERS
Taylor Russell – WAVES
Zhao Shuzhen – THE FAREWELL
Lauren “Lolo” Spencer – GIVE ME LIBERTY
Octavia Spencer – LUCE
BEST SCREENPLAY
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
The Robert Altman Award is given to the ensemble cast, director & casting director of one film: MARRIAGE STORY – Noah Baumbach, Douglas Aibel, Francine Maisler, Alan Alda, Laura Dern, Adam Driver, Julie Hagerty, Scarlett Johansson, Ray Liotta, Azhy Robertson, Merritt Wever
BEST SCREENPLAY
Noah Baumbach – MARRIAGE STORY
Jason Begue, Shawn Snyder – TO DUST
Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie – UNCUT GEMS
Chinonye Chukwu – CLEMENCY
Tarell Alvin Mccraney – HIGH FLYING BIRD
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Fredrica Bailey, Stefon Bristol – SEE YOU YESTERDAY
Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen – DRIVEWAYS
Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy – BLOW THE MAN DOWN
Jocelyn Deboer, Dawn Luebbe – GREENER GRASS
James Montague, Craig W. Sanger – THE VAST OF NIGHT
BEST EDITING
Julie Béziau – THE THIRD WIFE
Ronald Bronstein,
Benny Safdie – UNCUT GEMS
Tyler L. Cook – SWORD OF TRUST
Louise Ford – THE LIGHTHOUSE
Kirill Mikhanovsky – GIVE ME LIBERTY
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Todd Banhazl – HUSTLERS
Jarin Blaschke – THE LIGHTHOUSE
Natasha Braier – HONEY BOY
Chananun Chotrungroj – THE THIRD WIFE
Pawel Pogorzelski – MIDSOMMAR
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
INVISIBLE LIFE, Brazil
LES MISERABLES, France
PARASITE, South Korea
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE, France
RETABLO, Peru
THE SOUVENIR, United Kingdom
The post Alfre Woodard, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Jonathan Majors and more nominated for Sprit Awards appeared first on theGrio.
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Black Facebook Employees Say The Tech Giant ‘Empowers Racism Against Its Employees of Color’
It looks like Facebook has a “black people problem” at its corporate office once again. Earlier this month, black employees who work at the tech giant wrote an open letter to the company stating that every day they feel as if they don’t belong there. In an article posted on Medium, an anonymous letter stated the grievances people of color face at Facebook.
“Hundreds of African-American Facebook employees embarked to Menlo Park, California to be part of its annual Black@ event. This event was a global event, allowing us to hear directly from Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg about the importance of inclusion and empowerment, and meeting with colleagues who we may rarely see outside of the hectic day-to-day of the business. Many of us will then go to the AfroTech event in Oakland to share stories, network, and meet up with other engineers, designers, and leaders in the industry.”
“On the inside, we are sad. Angry. Oppressed. Depressed. And treated every day through the micro and macro aggressions as if we do not belong here.”
“We are remaining anonymous because Facebook creates a hostile culture where anyone who is non-white is made to feel fear for their job and their safety to report any bad behaviors. There is little to no equity in terms of responsibilities, ratings, and reviews. Bad behaviors from non-POCs are elevated while normal actions from POCs are treated as aggressive, angry, and abnormal. Even positive ratings are shared with a negative, threatening tone.”
“No one at Facebook, or anywhere, should have to put up with this behavior. We are sorry,” Bertie Thomson, the vice president of corporate communications, said in a statement. “It goes against everything that we stand for as a company. We’re listening and working hard to do better.”
The letter has even pointed out that things have actually gotten worse in the past year. “There may be a few more posters on the wall. There may be an effort to recruit diverse talent. But not much has changed to ensure that people are recognized, empowered, and overall treated equitably by their managers and peers. In fact, things have gotten worse.”
It’s as if a time machine took Facebook back into November of 2018. Last year, there were allegations from former Facebook manager Mark Luckie accusing the company of “failing” its black employees and users in a memo before he left the company.
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Democratic Debate: 5 most important moments for Black voters to consider
Last night was the fifth Democratic primary debate held at the new Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. Former frontrunners Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren attempted to retain their progressive supporters while Mayor Pete Buttigieg made his debut as the current frontrunner in the Iowa polls.
Two millionaires tried to make their case to the American public, but the shadow of former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg loomed large each time they opened their mouths. And this was the first time in American history that the majority of people on the stage were women (that is when you include the four female moderators from MSNBC.)
READ MORE: The next presidential debate to be held at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta
Some viewers may have felt the debate lacked the “pizzazz” to keep most Americans engaged and enthralled, but the discussion of climate change, moving beyond this current administration, and white supremacy are still really necessary conversations to have. It’s important to know the degrees of grey between each candidate on policy, temperament, and approach to the office. And finally, candidates are getting comfortable acknowledging that the road to the White House for any Democrat is paved through the communities of Black women — shout out to Julian Castro, who was missing last night, for starting that conversation.
And, on that note, here are five takeaways from last night’s debate.
Where was Julian Castro?
Perhaps the most glaring omission from last night’s debate wasn’t the presence of 10 senators, representatives, mayors, and millionaires, but the absence of former HUD Secretary and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro.
His presence in the previous debates was a necessary presence. In most instances, it was Castro who invoked the names of slain Black men, women, and children. It was he who addressed the need for policies to address inequity in Black communities, and it was definitely Castro who made sure his fellow challengers accounted for past practices and anti-Black statements and policies. It is my sincere hope that Castro is able to appear high enough in the polls and successfully raise the money necessary to be included in the next debate.
As the only Latinx candidate and the only candidate who has proactively addressed anti-Black racism, it is imperative his voice be included.
Cory and Kamala, Wonder Twins Activate!
Is it just me or do you love the way it seems like Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris seem to compliment each other on the debate stage? It is slightly more complicated for each candidate to overtly discuss issues that directly affect Black citizens as well as address the blatant racism and inequality in which millions of Blacks continue to live. Therefore, the strategy of the two appears to be to “dose and reinforce” where one candidate will state a concrete fact about Black women, Black mortality, or the Black condition, and the other Senator will follow up minutes later with a reinforcement of that very point. It may not gain either candidate a first-place finish, but having two Black Senators on stage is meaningful and necessary.
READ MORE: WATCH | Pete Buttigieg says if America doesn’t address racism ASAP, country will fall apart
Then there’s former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (aka Black Romney.) Only time will tell if he ends up doing the same when he appears on the debate stage, but judging by the empty seats for his talk last night at Morehouse, I’m not too certain about the future candidacy for Governor Patrick.
Governor @DevalPatrick was supposed to have an event at Morehouse College tonight. An organizer with the college who planned the event told CNN that Patrick cancelled the event when he arrived and learned that he would not have an audience. (Note, two people came, not pictured) pic.twitter.com/CzNjWYcWKJ
— Annie Grayer (@AnnieGrayerCNN) November 21, 2019
Why are you still doing so well Joe Biden?
I am so sure I am not the only viewer of the debate who consistently scratches my head in confusion and disbelief every time former Vice President Joe Biden attempted to answer a question. His nickname is now “Captain Rambles” because of the way he answers (or refuses to answer) a direct question. How does a question pertaining to domestic terrorism devolve into a diatribe about domestic violence where the former VP insists we need to “punch it out?”
Joe Biden has served this nation valiantly, but when it comes to the presidency, it is beyond apparent that he should be (and most likely will be) a bridesmaid and not the bride. Sorry, Uncle Joe, you missed your moment somewhere along the road. With each passing debate, you further erode your legacy and goodwill, but more importantly, you raise serious concerns about your competency.
Why was Tom Steyer on stage?
Luckily for most voters, billionaire and climate control advocate, Tom Steyer was out of their television frame for most of the debate. There were stretches of time where he said absolutely nothing and contributed even less. His presence was a reminder of the overt capitalist nation in which we live, where a wealthy man can essentially purchase his way onto a presidential stage.
READ MORE: Senator Cory Booker on his choice for VP: ‘I’ll be looking to women first’
Steyer also serves as the proxy for what is likely to come, the emergence of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Unfortunately, the behavior of the current occupant of the White House has inspired millionaires to see themselves as worthy occupants of public office by the mere fact that they have money in the bank (looking at you too, Andrew Yang.)
Tulsi Gabbard is dangerous, end of story
How is it that Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a known Bashar Assad apologist, has made it yet again to the debate stage? Indeed, she received a bit of fire from Mayor Buttigieg and Senators Harris and Klobuchar, but her mere presence on the debate should concern many Americans.
READ MORE: Joe Biden on racism: White people ‘can never fully understand’
Far too many of her talking points sounded like a GOP Fox News summary. Most people believe and accept the wide diversity within the Democratic party, however, Gabbard is the third rail on that debate stage and with each passing appearance, she muddies the already crowded waters. It is time for candidates to systematically address and dismantle her policy positions which are dangerous to the Democratic party and democracy as a whole.
Christina M. Greer is an Associate professor at Fordham University-Lincoln Center in New York City. She is the author of Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream, and the co-host of the FAQ-NYC podcast.
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Fenty Beauty model Slick Woods reveals she’s undergoing chemo on IG
Fenty Beauty standout model Slick Woods revealed to her legions of fans, that she’s about to embark on a journey to cure her cancer and undergo chemotherapy.
READ MORE: 5 Reasons ‘Love & Hip Hop Hollywood’ is doing WAY too much
The 23-year-old cautioned her fans not to treat her like a victim, after showcasing a picture of her surrounded by friends and looking upbeat.
“How I feel about chemotherapy, shout out to everyone that gotta go through it #atleastimalreadybald,” she wrote without revealing what kind of cancer she is battling.
View this post on Instagram
How I feel about chemotherapy, shout out to everyone that gotta go through it #atleastimalreadybald
“You are already on the other side of this healthy and strong like it never happened. I adore you,” wrote actress Taraji P. Henson in support.
“You have a whole social media fam rocking with you Slick…..you got it girl,” a fan wrote.
Another added, “You got this. God got you.”
Many of her adoring followers have taken to her personality. Her openness and humility resonates just as loudly as her brash approach to life.
Not only does Woods have a unique style, she is transparent. Evidence of that is when she thanked Rihanna last year for giving her a platform to showcase her best self.
“My mom called me today and I told her she’s the definition of beauty, thank you @badgalriri for changing the game, reminding every little black girl she is and came from royalty and that all women are beautiful in their own damn way. A beautiful start to a new year and a fresh perspective of what beauty is… whatever tf you want it to be. #googlemebaby.”
READ MORE: Rihanna sends Fenty fans into a frenzy after dropping two new beauty products
In addition to working with both Rihanna’s lingerie and Fenty Beauty lines, Woods has also worked with Kanye West‘s Yeezy collection, Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu and Jeremy Scott. She’s also done campaigns for Calvin Klein and Moschino. And has been a guest co-host on several episodes of MTV’s hit reality series Catfish.
Earlier this year she joined her new boyfriend, rapper Micky Munday, on the new season of Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood.
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