Well, long time no post. I guess that I really did hit the ground running when I came back to Perth – catching up on the first week of uni, seeing friends again, getting special permissions for my course (to take Computer Networks), and of course getting started with my thesis.
While it’s nowhere near the length of a dedicated honours project, let alone a phd, my thesis project still presents an opportunity to work on some really cool stuff. I’ve always been passionate about the idea of teaching computers to learn for themselves, to act in ways we can expect and appreciate. As a result, I’ll be studying learning algorithms, using a neat little framework called Robocode.
Robocode is a Java application where miniture tanks fight battles to the death (no CS project is complete without explosions), and what makes it great is that while it’s really simple to start coding, creating a master bot truly takes a long time and a ton of effort. Of course, my plan is to simplify things by putting the bulk of my effort into creating a learning mechanism for the bot, so that it can develop the winning traits on its own. No easy task, but since when were the most worthwhile things easy to do?
Aside from that, life goes on. Being back at uni has certainly made me miss the homework-less environment of Microsoft – I can’t wait to head back next year. I’ve taken the stance that this year should help me prepare for the high expectations that they and I have for myself – hence my choice of units and project. I gained a lot of confidence in myself while I was in Seattle, so now it’s time to take things to the next level and write some really innovative stuff.