Max Pflueger

Researcher and engineer in robotics and machine learning.

I write code, play with robots, and do other fun things.

[Dmitri Dolgov @dmitri_dolgov]

1/ Some San Franciscans may have already noticed @Waymo cars with empty driver’s seats. Now it’s official: we’ve started fully autonomous operations in SF! https://t.co/8fvv3JL1xp

[Max Pflueger @MaxPflueger]

Reinforcement learning starts from a blank slate, but planning algorithms know a lot about the way the world works. We have proposed a way to learn state embeddings from demos provided by a planner that can improve the performance and reliability of RL.

https://t.co/bmJRf6Cv7m

[Max Pflueger @MaxPflueger]

Imagining myself as an astronaut on a spacewalk to avoid touching my face. NASA would be disappointed to cut the mission short for an itchy nose 🧑‍🚀

[USC RESL @uscresl]

Interested how well drones can fly with RL?
Take a look at this work from RESL and ACT:
https://t.co/zTGYGnA3i5

[USC Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science @CSatUSC]

Gift from Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg helps establish new building for computer science at USC
https://t.co/yrYaStc6pz

[Los Angeles Times @latimes]

Animated slides show how the quake permanently jolted a huge block of earth along the fault away from the other. Here, the image shows how one block of ground slid past the other in the Ridgecrest earthquake. https://t.co/P7AKfmReIe (@SotisValkan / Google Earth / DigitalGlobe)

[Max Pflueger @MaxPflueger]

Can we learn what traversable terrain looks like purely from demonstrated paths? On Tuesday I'll be presenting work from my collaboration with @NASAJPL on doing this for Mars rovers using inverse-RL and value iteration networks at #ICRA2019, come see us! https://t.co/e5El8aKJ2i

[Max Pflueger @MaxPflueger]

This is an interesting article from an RL perspective. Colorful birds and other species that adapt to each other's preferences sound like reward hackers or adversarial examples. Also a pleasant read with gorgeous photos:

https://t.co/iG3fOVr48j

[Bobak Ferdowsi @tweetsoutloud]

So we say goodnight to @MarsRovers Opportunity and thank you for years of sharing your adventures with us. And to a team who built and cared for you, tirelessly fought for you, operated you, congratulations on an incredible mission. Thank you.

[NASA JPL @NASAJPL]

We'll always have #Mars.

After relaying live communications for @NASAInSight as it landed, the tiny #MARCO B cubesat sent back this farewell image of the planet. #MarsLanding

[Max Pflueger @MaxPflueger]

If you ever read something online that makes you think something bad about someone else (even/especially if it's someone you already dislike), stop, think:

1. Why am I seeing this?
2. Whose interests are served by me seeing this?

https://t.co/lCl0nCkcez

[Max Pflueger @MaxPflueger]

Just play tested @growtinytrees, check out my winning tree!

[MIT Technology Review @techreview]

“Through decades of public and private investment, the U.S. currently leads in basic AI research. Ill-advised policies can quickly squander this lead.” https://t.co/m74XAI22UK

[Max Pflueger @MaxPflueger]

I just learned that @techshop has closed permanently. TechShop was one the largest things I missed about the Bay Area when I moved to LA. This makes me really sad, I hope someone finds a better model and picks up where they left off.

https://t.co/65wgHq2UT1

[Max Pflueger @MaxPflueger]

Apparently deep is as big a buzzword in music as it is in machine learning. #deepopera #deepnordicfolk #deepcanadianindie #deepdeephouse https://t.co/PPmctnUFXj

[Andrej Karpathy @karpathy]

Every noise at once https://t.co/YnFu2cJeBB lays out all possible music in 2D + spotify samples. very cool.

[Mayor Karen Bass @MayorOfLA]

Get those #WinterBreakGoals: Dancing in the Rain Room @LACMA (Photo Credit: @MaxPflueger) https://t.co/198uPvESLJ

[Max Pflueger @MaxPflueger]

I really want to read this without 'like' before 'science'. https://t.co/8HEUEHEJq9

[President Obama @POTUS44]

Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great.

[SETI Osman @joaq_nagle]

Obama's pause game is out of control.

[Max Pflueger @MaxPflueger]

Check out the @icra2015 conference trailer, with my work at 3:07! #ICRA15 https://t.co/YwKIxOQBFP

[Frank Furter @DrFNFurter]

... pation.