Here is a different view of Downtown Austin than what you are used to me posting. It is from a secret location that I might be willing to share with you, but first you must hazard a guess. 🙂
Monthly Archives: January 2015
Robocup Soccer Exhibition
One of my most anticipated events at the Artificial Intelligence Open House was to witness the Robocup Soccer Exhibition. One of the teams was from The University of Texas – The Austin Villa Robot Soccer Team. The goal is to “build fully autonomous cooperative multi-robot systems that perform well in dynamic and adversarial environments.” How much fun it was to watch these little guys roam the soccer field, chase the ball down, tumble around and get back up on their own, pass the ball, and score goals. The robots are all a Standard Platform (identical except for programming and jersey color) and “Aldebaran Nao” robots. They receive no programming assistance while on the field, but must find the ball and play soccer on their own. Too much fun!
Hyatt Regency Austin
I had a fun opportunity to visit the Hyatt Regency this afternoon for a conference on Artificial Intelligence. The host organization was the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI). I sat in on a talk by Moshe Vardi from Rice University who spoke on the topic, “If Machines are Capable of Almost Any Work Humans can Do, What will Humans Do?” Thought provoking…
Walnut Creek Hike and Bike Trail
At sunset, it was time to work off my overconsumption of meat pies, and go for a long walk along the Walnut Creek Hike and Bike Trail. The section I walked had sights like a golf course, Walnut Creek, flooded trail sections, bridge underpasses, graffiti, winter trees, bamboo, dried brush, and plenty of bikers, hikers and dogs. It was a pleasant walk, and I will have to explore this trail further when I have the opportunity.
Australia Day – Pie Eating Contest
The highlight of the day was Boomerang’s and their food truck full of meat pies. I had a couple of Southwest Chicken pies to support their cause. I should have entered the Pie Eating Contest to get a free one on the sly. 🙂
Australia Day – Celebration
The Austin Rugby Club set up a celebration for Australia Day this afternoon at their club house. It was a beautiful sunny day to celebrate. I wandered around their three pitches and took some photos, of course.
Elysium – Voltaire
Elysium – Psycho Circus
Tonight was Aurelio Voltaire’s Birthday Party at Elysium in Austin. The first part of the show was the Psycho Circus. They were talented and fun, but I wish I had gotten more photos to give you a better feel for their very interesting show.
Women & Their Work Art Gallery
I attended the Opening Reception of Between Borderlands by artist Sara Frantz this evening. The event was held at the Women & Their Work Art Gallery in Austin. I believe the exhibit is there until the middle of March, so check it out if you get the opportunity.
Greetings from Austin Postcard
The Greetings from Austin Postcard mural can be found on the northwest corner of South 1st Street and Annie Street. It is an iconic Austin mural. If you promise to take some crazy photos and post them on your blog, I will share this secret link with you. All of the best murals in Austin! Have fun!
earthrobert 