[Dprglist] Would it be possible to make an object detector that works on any object?

[Murray Altheim]

On 7/10/21 11:16 am, Karim Virani via DPRGlist wrote:
> In some ways yes and in some ways no. At this very moment I'm pursuing
> the "solve" through classic vision processing algorithms. Meaning [...]

Hi Karim,

I'm looking forward to playing with the OAK-D-Lite when mine arrives in
the mail. But the hoo-hah is a bit over the top.

One of the things I tend to go back to on a lot of the AI/Machine Learning
technologies are arguments by Rodney Brooks on the real efficacy as well
as failures of MIT's Shakey robot, which also reminds me of David
Anderson's idea of having a robot that can run around in my living room.

So it's all fine and dandy if a robot vision system can work on a flat
grey floor with Block World in primary colors, but what about my actual
living room, which has a Persian rug with lots of patterns on it and a
sometimes-moving cat obstacle? And believe me, my cat is not very cat-
shaped when he's not moving. Sure, a vision system will be able to
differentiate objects on a plain background that don't overlap, but can
it locate a mobile phone sitting on a book, sitting on my rug? Even if
the lights in my lounge are on low, or I'm using the color-control on
the lights ("romantic mood"!) so the rug changes color?

I agree that we should hear more about the failures, about edge cases,
rather than all the boosterism which does the industry no favours. Let's
just say my own experience in the field has left me with a very healthy
skepticism of its claims.

And looking back at the world of AI for the past half century or so it
hardly seems that's going to change any time soon. Flying intelligent
autonomous talking cars that can vacuum your brain clean and discuss the
problems with your mother-in-law whilst simultaneously making you wealthy
by creating Elon Musk memes on YouTube and mining cryptocurrencies as a
background task, that'll happen next year. On Mars.

Cheers,

Murray

...........................................................................
Murray Altheim <murray18 at altheim dot com>                       = =  ===
http://www.altheim.com/murray/                                     ===  ===
                                                                    = =  ===
     In the evening
     The rice leaves in the garden
     Rustle in the autumn wind
     That blows through my reed hut.
            -- Minamoto no Tsunenobu