This paper describes Motion Planning Networks (MPNet), a computationally efficient, learning-based neural planner for solving motion planning problems. MPNet uses neural networks to learn general near-optimal heuristics for path planning in seen and unseen environments. It receives environment information as point-clouds, as well as a robot's initial and desired goal configurations and recursively calls itself to bidirectionally generate connectable paths. In addition to finding directly connectable and near-optimal paths in a single pass, we show that worst-case theoretical guarantees can be proven if we merge this neural network strategy with classical sample-based planners in a hybrid approach while still retaining significant computational and optimality improvements. To learn the MPNet models, we present an active continual learning approach that enables MPNet to learn from streaming data and actively ask for expert demonstrations when needed, drastically reducing data for training. We validate MPNet against gold-standard and state-of-the-art planning methods in a variety of problems from 2D to 7D robot configuration spaces in challenging and cluttered environments, with results showing significant and consistently stronger performance metrics, and motivating neural planning in general as a modern strategy for solving motion planning problems efficiently.

The use of robotics in controlled environments has flourished over the last several decades and training robots to perform tasks using control strategies developed from dynamical models of their hardware have proven very effective. However, in many real-world settings, the uncertainties of the environment, the safety requirements and generalized capabilities that are expected of robots make rigid industrial robots unsuitable. This created great research interest into developing control strategies for flexible robot hardware for which building dynamical models are challenging. In this paper, inspired by the success of deep reinforcement learning (DRL) in other areas, we systematically study the efficacy of policy search methods using DRL in training flexible robots. Our results indicate that DRL is successfully able to learn efficient and robust policies for complex tasks at various degrees of flexibility. We also note that DRL using Deep Deterministic Policy Gradients can be sensitive to the choice of sensors and adding more informative sensors does not necessarily make the task easier to learn.

Since the first use of advanced software in asset-intensive industries more than four decades ago, manufacturers have been on a journey to transform their businesses and create added value for stakeholders. Today, a fresh generation of technologies, fuelled by advances in artificial intelligence based on machine learning, is opening new opportunities to reassess the upper bounds of operational excellence across these sectors. To stay one step ahead of the pack, businesses not only need to understand machine learning complexities but be prepared to act on it and take advantage. After all, the latest machine learning solutions can determine weeks in advance if and when assets are likely to degrade or fail, distinguishing between normal and abnormal equipment and process behavior by recognizing complex data patterns and uncovering the precise signatures of degradation and failure. They can then alert operators and even prescribe solutions to avoid the impending failure, or at least mitigate the consequences.

Deep Angel is an artificial intelligence that erases objects from photographs. Part art, part technology, and part philosophy, Deep Angel shares Angelus Novus' gaze into the future. With this platform, you can explore the future of automated media manipulation by either uploading your own photos, submitting a public Instagram account to the AI, or trying to detect fake images. Beyond manipulation, Deep Angel enables you to uncover the aesthetics of absence. What happens when we can remove things from the world around us? Deep Angel is part of an ongoing research project.

This book is intended for busy professionals working with data of any kind: engineers, BI analysts, statisticians, operations research, AI and machine learning professionals, economists, data scientists, biologists, and quants, ranging from beginners to executives. In about 300 pages and 28 chapters it covers many new topics, offering a fresh perspective on the subject, including rules of thumb and recipes that are easy to automate or integrate in black-box systems, as well as new model-free, data-driven foundations to statistical science and predictive analytics. The approach focuses on robust techniques; it is bottom-up (from applications to theory), in contrast to the traditional top-down approach. The material is accessible to practitioners with a one-year college-level exposure to statistics and probability. The compact and tutorial style, featuring many applications with numerous illustrations, is aimed at practitioners, researchers, and executives in various quantitative fields.

A key strength of NLP (natural language processing) is being able to process large amounts of texts and then summarise them to extract meaningful insights. In this example, a selection of economic bulletins in PDF format from 2018 to 2019 are analysed in order to gauge economic sentiment. The bulletins in question are sourced from the European Central Bank website. As a disclaimer, the below examples are used solely to illustrate the use of natural language processing techniques for educational purposes. This is not intended as a formal economic summary in any business context.

Three independent groups of researchers have designed powerful artificial muscles that are around 100 times stronger than ours. The synthetic muscles are are designed around coiled or coiling fibres that can stretch and contract just like their natural counterparts. The muscle designs could have various applications -- from developing smart clothing that changes in response to the weather, to prosthetic limbs and robots. Three independent groups of researchers have designed powerful artificial muscles that are around 100 times stronger than ours. The same basic principle underpins the brawny robots developed by each research team -- that coiled materials can stretch just like natural muscles.

The modern world is becoming increasingly technology driven. Many areas, such as healthcare, have been quick to realise the possibilities. AI and machine learning in oil & gas focused sectors has been slower to establish itself. This is largely because the industry has been slow to realise the potential. However this is slowly changing. Machine learning in oil & gas can be used to enhance the capabilities of this increasingly competitive sector. Not only can it help to streamline the workforce. The technology can also be used to optimise extraction and deliver accurate models. These benefits are just some of the reasons why machine learning in oil & gas is becoming increasingly important. Here are 10 ways that the impact of machine learning in oil & gas industries is being felt. One of the most noticeable impacts of machine learning in oil & gas focused industries is how it transforms discovery processes. Applications employing machine learning in oil & gas enable computers to quickly and accurately analyse huge amounts of data. This includes being able to sift precisely through signals and noise in seismic data.

The Union Health Ministry is working towards using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a safe and effective way in public health. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in Lok Sabha on July 12 that to address gaps in India's AI ecosystem and realise its economic impact, the central government has prioritised building AI technology capabilities. "The potential of AI in public health is being explored in our country. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is working towards using AI in a safe and effective way in public health in India," he said during Question Hour. Mr. Vardhan said a few of the initiatives undertaken by the central government to use AI in public health are Imaging Biobank for cancer, for which the NITI Aayog with Department of Bio-Technology (DBT) aims to build a database of cancer-related radiology and pathology images of more than 20,000 profiles of cancer patients with focus on major cancers prevalent in India.

Artificial intelligence has given the world of banking and the financial industry as a whole a way to meet the demands of customers who want smarter, more convenient, safer ways to access, spend, save and invest their money. We've put together a rundown of how AI is being used in finance and the companies leading the way. A recent study found 77% of consumers preferred paying with a debit or credit card compared to only 12% who favored cash. But easier payment options isn't the only reason the availability of credit is important to consumers. Having good credit aids in receiving favorable financing options, landing jobs and renting an apartment, to name a few examples.