HNHacker News
TopNewBestAskShowJobs

cbames89

302 karma · joined December 8, 2013

Co-Founder BotBuilt, we build homes with robots! Formerly RL and Robotics researcher at Duke University, and NASA.

website: www.cbames.com email: barrett@botbuilt.com

submissionscomments
cbames89··on Reuleaux Kinematic Mechanisms Collection
This collection is one of my favorite memories from undergrad. Every time I walked past I tried to think of a new way to use one of the mechanisms.
cbames89··on MLB says Yankees’ new “torpedo bats” are legal and likely coming
Slow game warns other slow game, hey you might get fast.
cbames89··on 3D-printed neighborhood nears completion in Texas
It's ~21% the cost of a home, it's actually the single most costly and labor intense category. That being said it does only take 14-21 days to frame a home.
cbames89··on Ask HN: Who is hiring? (December 2023)
BotBuilt | Full Time Software, Electrical, Mechatronics | ONSITE ( Durham, NC/ Manilla, PH / Sao Paulo, Brazil)

We build homes with robots!

BotBuilt is at the forefront of revolutionizing the construction industry. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, and Robotics, we're reshaping how construction projects are conceived and executed. Our small but dynamic team is dedicated to innovation and excellence.

Why Join Us?

Innovative Projects: Work on groundbreaking projects that integrate AI and robotics into real-world construction applications.

Growth Opportunity: As a growing firm, BotBuilt offers unique career advancement opportunities and the chance to play a key role in the industry's transformation.

Collaborative Culture: We value creativity, collaboration, and out-of-the-box thinking. Your ideas will be heard and valued.

See our open jobs here: https://ats.rippling.com/botbuilt/jobs NOTE: If you're in the Philippines or Brazil please apply to the open position, we're still working out those positions exactly so there's no specific job posting yet.

cbames89··on Ask HN: Who is hiring? (November 2023)
BotBuilt (YC-W21) | INTERNS | VISA | ONSITE | Durham, NC

We build homes with robots!

We stick frame homes using traditional American building approaches but we use robots to do it.

We're looking for Software, Firmware, Electrical, Mechanical, Creatives, Makers, Civil Engineers, and Carpenters to join our eclectic group. This small band makes progress every day towards the end goal: End Homelessness. We've got a long way to go, but that's why we need you.

Apply here: https://ats.rippling.com/botbuilt/jobs

Check us out at: https://www.botbuilt.com

cbames89··on Self-driving cars cause a traffic jam in Austin, Texas
I took a ride in May in Austin. It was my first time in an driverless car. I took a bunch of notes and emailed Kyle Vogt my thoughts. In the past he's been quite generous with his thoughts on our pitch deck. Anyways, one of the points in my email was that there were several points along the route that seemed to be choke points for cruise. We tried to do the most scientific ride three slightly inebriated people could do. We rode all the way across Cruise's range and tried to experience as many different areas as possible. Generally it was better than I expected, but I still wouldn't feel comfortable putting my kids in yet.
cbames89··on Ask HN: What's the coolest physical thing you've made?
Robots that build houses, check us out, www.botbuilt.com
cbames89··on Launch HN: Buildt (YC W23) – Conversational semantic code search
I would definitely be at danger of getting into the habit of just saying no if I was asked everytime it changed, especially early in the dev cycle. However, if it was just at pull request time, I probably wouldn't get frustrated with it.
cbames89··on Launch HN: Buildt (YC W23) – Conversational semantic code search
This is awesome! A related problem that currently has no solution I know of is documentation rot. I would definitely pay for a LLM that compared docs and code and told me if they got too far apart.
cbames89··on Continuous glucose monitoring on the Apple Watch
Using Android, Veri doesn't support Android yet.
cbames89··on Continuous glucose monitoring on the Apple Watch
I was looking into this the other week, I couldn't find a CGM supplier in the US that would sell dtc. I don't need it for any medical reasons. Im just interested in the data. Anyone know of a supplier?
cbames89··on Ask HN: Recommend employers with positive social impact
BotBuilt (W21) we build robots that build homes. Always looking for software and hardware types that want to take on the massive housing shortage!
cbames89··on Starlink for RVs
Any idea why the eastern US is wait listed? I'd love to ditch spectrum and I work in construction so having mobile internet would be huge.
cbames89··on How This Ends
Here's a tech companies few I know of:

-www.botbuilt.com - (W21) -Canvas -Built -AutoVol -https://www.diamondage3d.com/ -Entekra -Promise Robotics -Icon -Rent my backyard (YC)

cbames89··on Insurance is like gambling, don't overdo it
To your point about there being no innovation to be made. Better risk models would be a tech advantage that would allow one company to offer more accurate premiums.
cbames89··on Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
I signed up once for Sunday delivery only. After 3 months I never received a single paper, then I called to cance. I had a much easier time over the phone, but they were surprised I hadn't received any of my papers even though I called/emailed on 3 occasions that I wasn't receiving my paper...
cbames89··on Ask HN: What is your “I don't care if this succeeds” project?
Sounds like you care quite a bit. Although perhaps here you're defining success as monetary as opposed to adding reliable knowledge.
cbames89··on Introduction to Reinforcement Learning (2015)
In my opinion there's a wide open array of approaches from control that can help with this. Learning for Control is a new conference that looks at this very topic.
cbames89··on Introduction to Reinforcement Learning (2015)
Technical point: Value functions that are a constant multiples of each other result in the same behavior.
cbames89··on Your brain runs your body using something like a budget
I'm reminded of John Medina, neuroscientist, "what's obvious to you, is obvious to you."
cbames89··on Spaced Repetition (2019)
I've been using spaced repetition via anki for about a year now. Two effects that I've run into:

1.) When there's a deadline looming i tend to drop doing it, and then after the deadline i have a bunch to catch up on.

2.) I find somewhat frequently that some of the things i learned that I thought would be good to know in the future, i no longer have a use for. It's easy enough to stop reviewing those bits, but I've wondered what kind of impact that has.

cbames89··on Robotic Manipulation (Online Textbook)
Very different focus in Modern Robotics. I've used Modern Robotics in the past to teach a course on robotics fundamentals. It's fundamental in that it covers problem definitions, and some basic solutions to those problems. It gets a little deeper than others in that it goes into an exponential representation for certain operations.
cbames89··on Robotic Manipulation (Online Textbook)
woah, you're totally right. My bad. I just remembered him talking about manipulation as under-actuated problem. thanks for the catch.
cbames89··on Robotic Manipulation (Online Textbook)
The associated lecture videos have been a great source of information for me. The associated class has assignments that include programming and dockers for using the Drake environment. Plus, Russ Tedrake is a smart guy who asks great questions and he's always been willing to answer my questions and emails.
cbames89··on Whistleblower: Wall Street Has Engaged in Widespread Tampering of Mortgage Funds
Managing director I believe
cbames89··on Show HN: I Am Pickle Rick
I think this would be a great cross with AI-Dungeon 2. Just feed all the text from rick and morty if you can get it.
cbames89··on Avondale Man Sues After Google Data Leads to Wrongful Arrest for Murder
Ticket quotas are explicitly illegal in some states[0]. I would imagine arrest quotas would be legally similar.

[0]:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticket_quota

cbames89··on Show HN: Made this with my daughter to help kids ages 2 to 4 learn logic
John Medina in Brain Rules for Baby[0] suggests I think, a practical framework for kids screen time that is informed by research. It boils down to minimize screen time where the screen is stepping in as the babysitter. Instead, try to make it co-viewing where you and your child watch together. Then you can reference it later or discuss any points they find confusing or scary. Avoid violent content, because the kids are sponge mirrors. They soak everything up and then act it out later. I've seen this play out with my kids, we watched avatar the last Airbender (the cartoon) and they were benders for weeks afterward. I also watched Elf recently and shortly after the scene where Buddy gets yelled at my toddler was repeating the same phrases at a younger sibling.

[0]http://www.brainrules.net/brain-rules-for-baby

cbames89··on Escaping San Francisco
"Surviving SF: A beginner's tutorial" seems like a normal HN post title.
cbames89··on NeurIPS 2019 Notes [pdf]
Dave's a great guy for doing this. I like to peruse his notes just to see what he thought was important.
Page 1 of 4Next →