A Commentary: The Lost Art of Building from the Ground Up

If you've taken a peek at my bio, you'll know I've been programming and wrestling with code for a good long while. And when I say "programming," I'm not just talking about typing out lines of code. That's the easy part, honestly. But I digress.

What's been on my mind lately is the growing number of developers – and let's lump programmers, coders, and even those "script kiddies" into one big, friendly group – entering the industry with a heavy, sometimes too heavy, reliance on the current favourite framework or that magical library that makes life easier. Don't get me wrong, these tools are fantastic. I use libraries in almost all my projects. But here's the rub: many of today's rising talents seem unable to build anything without them.

Over the past decade, I've seen this reliance grow, while the fundamental skills of building without these crutches seem to be fading. I learned my craft before most of these libraries even existed. Heck, I recently realized I'm older than C++! I was a year old when Dennis Ritchie invented C at Bell Labs. So, I had no choice but to learn things from the ground up.

I had to master the basics. And I'm not talking about assembly or machine code, though I can still wrangle 6502 assembly. I mean understanding how to make a language do what you want with its core features, no external libraries or frameworks. I can already hear the C, Go, and Rust folks saying, "But <insert language here> provides standard libraries!" And you're right, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm referring to those third-party libraries and frameworks you install separately. Some have become so ingrained in our workflow that they're almost mistaken for the language itself (looking at you, jQuery).

Take JavaScript, for example. I've written tons of it over the years. Sure, I could use React, and I probably will at some point. But for everything React does, and it does it well, I've likely built something similar in plain, native JavaScript. The same goes for Go, C++, or any other language I've worked with. I like to know how things work; I don't trust black boxes I can't peek inside.

I've worked with many talented university graduates who can create impressive projects. The UI is slick, the responsiveness is spot-on. But when something goes wrong, especially if it's within a library they're using, they hit a wall. And if you ask them to modify something built without their favourite framework, it takes far longer than it should. A solid grasp of the language's fundamentals is always essential.

So, how does this relate to my current projects? Well, I'm obviously going to be leaning on neural networks for a lot of the heavy lifting, likely recurrent neural networks. But before I even started this project, I knew I'd be using them. It's just the direction things are heading. To prepare for the onslaught of libraries and frameworks (like TensorFlow) in this area, I decided to build my own.

Let me be clear: my neural network is nowhere near as sophisticated as TensorFlow. For my limited dataset, I could probably have written a traditional program faster and more accurately. But that wasn't the point. The goal was to understand what's happening inside those infamous "black boxes."

I've since refined my network with concurrency and better activation functions, but that's just icing on the cake. By learning how these networks work, even at a basic level, I'm much more comfortable using them in my projects. I might even have to create my own, as I'm not sure there's one that perfectly fits my needs, but now I feel equipped to do so.

So, if I could offer one piece of advice (and I have many, but we'll stick to one for now), it would be this: Learn the basics. Get a book on the core language before diving into frameworks. If you need to learn a specific algorithm, try building it yourself first, without any external libraries. It doesn't have to be perfect, or even good. But by doing so, you'll gain a much deeper understanding of what those libraries are doing under the hood. Maybe not the exact details, but you'll have a solid conceptual grasp.

Don't let the convenience of libraries and frameworks replace the satisfaction of building something from the ground up. You might be surprised at what you can achieve.

Whether you agree, or disagree, I would love to hear your thoughts 👇

And yes, that is an AI generated image 😁

My Journey into Independent AI and Robotics: A Personal Exploration

 Welcome to this space where I'll be documenting my ongoing exploration into the fascinating world of artificial intelligence and robotics. My aim is to provide you with clear, accessible insights into my projects and the challenges I encounter, all while keeping a grounded perspective on the current state of these rapidly evolving fields. I'll do my best to avoid getting bogged down in overly technical jargon, but some terminology is inevitable. Similarly, I'm committed to presenting a realistic view, steering clear of the sensationalism that often surrounds discussions about AI and robotics.

You might be wondering, with so many existing blogs and resources dedicated to these topics, why start another one? It's a fair question. Many of those blogs are written by individuals with far more formal qualifications and experience than I possess. So, what makes this one different? What can I offer that you won't find elsewhere?

To begin, let's address the elephant in the room: I'm not a scientist, nor am I a professional or student in the fields of AI or robotics. My formal education in these areas is limited. In fact, my academic journey was brief, lasting only a few months when I attempted college in my thirties. It simply wasn't the right fit for me.

However, what I do possess is a long history of software development. I began teaching myself to code at the age of 11, back in 1983. Since then, I've written software on a wide range of topics, in various programming languages, primarily for my own personal projects. Professionally, I've worked on enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, physical security systems, and numerous database and web-based applications. Personally, I've developed tools, games, databases, open-source libraries, and just about anything else that piqued my interest.

This extensive, self-taught background provides me with a unique perspective. My lack of formal training has often compelled me to find innovative and unconventional ways to solve problems. This ability to think outside the box is what I hope to bring to my exploration of AI and robotics.

Furthermore, I am neuro-divergent, specifically on the autistic spectrum. While this realization was initially a surprise, I've come to recognize it as a significant asset. My cognitive style allows me to perceive patterns and connections that might be overlooked by others. It's like having a different lens through which I view the world, enabling me to identify novel solutions and approaches.

This is a solo endeavor. I don't have a team of researchers or engineers working alongside me. It's just me, my computers, and my two 3D printers. However, I do have a valuable partner in the form of AI. I use AI as a sounding board, a research assistant, and a collaborator. If I need to quickly understand the capabilities of a component, I ask AI. If I need to assess the feasibility of a concept, I ask AI. If I need to ensure that this blog post is readable and engaging, I ask AI.

Another significant differentiator is my budget. While companies like Google, Tesla, and Unitree have access to millions or billions of dollars in funding, I'm working with a very limited budget. I'm funding this project myself, and my available capital is minimal. This constraint presents a unique challenge, forcing me to be resourceful and creative. To keep research and development costs down, I'll be relying heavily on off-the-shelf components and open-source software. I don't want to reinvent the wheel; instead, I aim to find new and innovative ways to combine existing technologies, perhaps adding my own unique contributions along the way.

I believe I have some promising ideas and concepts, and I'm eager to bring my unique perspective to life. However, I also recognize that success is not guaranteed. We'll see where this journey takes us.

I won't be detailing any specific project plans in this initial post. I prefer to reveal each aspect of my work as it develops, allowing you to follow along in real time.

Like many people of my generation, my fascination with robots began with the release of "Star Wars" in 1977. The character of R2-D2, in particular, captured my imagination. Decades later, in 2020, I acquired an Anki Vector. This small, interactive robot provided a tangible experience with personal robotics. While Vector is an impressive piece of technology, it lacked a certain spark, a quality that I couldn't quite define.

This led me to explore other consumer-level robotics solutions, including kits from companies like Adeept, Freenove, and Sunfounder. These kits provided valuable hands-on experience with single-board computers and microcontrollers, and I began designing my own robotic projects. However, these projects still fell short of my vision.

I realized that the key to unlocking the potential of these robots lay in their intelligence, specifically in the field of deep learning. I began to delve into the intricacies of neural networks, machine learning algorithms, and the ways in which AI can enable robots to learn and adapt. The prospect of creating robots that could not only perform tasks but also understand and interact with their environment on a deeper level was incredibly compelling.

A Note on Coding Choices

For the coding aspects of this project, I'll primarily be using Go and C++. I have a strong preference for compiled languages, and while Python is a popular choice in the AI and robotics community, I find its interpreted nature less appealing. I understand that using Go might limit my access to some readily available libraries, particularly in the machine learning domain, but I see this as a stimulating challenge. Adapting and potentially creating my own solutions is part of the exploration. C++ will come into play where performance is critical, and for low level hardware interaction.

I plan to post updates on this blog once a week, providing insights into my progress, challenges, and discoveries. However, please understand that there may be occasional delays. If I'm deeply immersed in a project or if there's nothing substantial to report, I may skip a week. I also intend to share videos whenever I have something visual to demonstrate.

This blog is intended to document my personal exploration of AI and robotics. It's not intended to replace formal scientific research. I invite you to follow along as I embark on this journey of discovery and innovation. And please, feel free to comment with your suggestions, ideas, or even just to let me know what you think. Your input is always welcome!