While these methods have been fantastically successful when applied to appropriate problems, there are issues with using them to train robots in this way.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have been pondering this state of affairs, and believe that teaching robots to learn in-the-wild has been hindered by the use of reinforcement learning and imitation learning techniques.

Why exactly is this the case? Why have these experiments not panned out in real world scenarios? These experiments are fine and all, but they are not exactly producing the Jetsons-esque robots that can help with any manner of household chores that we have long been waiting for. Although there has been a great deal of advancement in designing robots that are capable of manipulating real world objects in recent times, most applications have been limited to computer simulations, and smaller, table-top experiments in lab environments. Now it turns out that imitation may also be one of the best ways to program a robot. This is as much a work of art as it is a unique instrument with an inspiring tone.You may have heard it said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Every piece of metal, from the pickup surrounds, knobs, tailpiece-even the heel plate and control cavity cover-have been intricately engraved by O’Brien. The controls are two tone dials with on-off switches for each, plus a master volume-with a missing knob-on the upper body. Both the headstock and end of the fretboard are delicately carved into a crown-like pattern, perhaps drawing inspiration from mandolins and lutes of the previous century. The distinctive “suit of cards” inlays along the 32'-scale neck would become a signature of Ronnie Lane, but this is perhaps the earliest example of that motif on one of his instruments. The hollow chambers on either side of the neck block were stuffed with cotton to eliminate feedback below a laminate-wood carved top.

This instrument has a chambered body with a neck-through design and features a 6-screw heel plate purely for cosmetics. Though all of Tony’s designs are one-of-a-kind, this stands out as a bass guitar truly unlike any other we’ve ever seen. The bass pictured here was one of his earliest custom designs for Ronnie Lane.

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