Tootfinder

koboshi: A Base That Animates Everyday Objects
Yuta Sugiura
https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.13509 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2508.13509

koboshi: A Base That Animates Everyday Objects
We propose a base-shaped robot named "koboshi" that moves everyday objects. This koboshi has a spherical surface in contact with the floor, and by moving a weight inside using built-in motors, it can rock up and down, and side to side. By placing everyday items on this koboshi, users can impart new movement to otherwise static objects. The koboshi is equipped with sensors to measure its posture, enabling interaction with users. Additionally, it has communication capabilities, allowing multiple …

@… love my Kobo Libra.

An Embodied AR Navigation Agent: Integrating BIM with Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Language Guidance
Hsuan-Kung Yang, Tsu-Ching Hsiao, Ryoichiro Oka, Ryuya Nishino, Satoko Tofukuji, Norimasa Kobori
https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.16602

An Embodied AR Navigation Agent: Integrating BIM with Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Language Guidance
Delivering intelligent and adaptive navigation assistance in augmented reality (AR) requires more than visual cues, as it demands systems capable of interpreting flexible user intent and reasoning over both spatial and semantic context. Prior AR navigation systems often rely on rigid input schemes or predefined commands, which limit the utility of rich building data and hinder natural interaction. In this work, we propose an embodied AR navigation system that integrates Building Information Mod…

using kobo forma with koreader makes me feel like i'm from the Star Trek future holding a powerful artifact
it does what it should, it's pleasant to interact with, it has good aesthetics, and it helps me understand books in a way paper doesn't (context sensitive dictionary lookup turns out to be really important for me)
it's been a day and the thing already feels like an extension of myself; and i never have to work around it

From “Design a Spaceship” by Andi Buchanan in Uncanny Magazine issue 24 (“Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction!”), September / October 2018.
https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/f145b753-ba18-4d1b-a5e1-8b7c66e254b7
I’ve seen the answer to this quest…

why did it take me so long to buy a e-reader
i got a kobo forma for 130 GBP (it's a display unit. if i'm unsure about an electronics purchase i ~always buy used) and i feel like it's already paid for itself in a sense

Using Reinforcement Learning to Optimize the Global and Local Crossing Number
Timo Brand, Henry F\"orster, Stephen Kobourov, Robin Schukrafft, Markus Wallinger, Johannes Zink
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.06108

Using Reinforcement Learning to Optimize the Global and Local Crossing Number
We present a novel approach to graph drawing based on reinforcement learning for minimizing the global and the local crossing number, that is, the total number of edge crossings and the maximum number of crossings on any edge, respectively. In our framework, an agent learns how to move a vertex based on a given observation vector in order to optimize its position. The agent receives feedback in the form of local reward signals tied to crossing reduction. To generate an initial layout, we use a …

Drawing Trees and Cacti with Integer Edge Lengths on a Polynomial-Size Grid
Henry F\"orster, Stephen Kobourov, Jacob Miller, Johannes Zink
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.04168 …

Drawing Trees and Cacti with Integer Edge Lengths on a Polynomial-Size Grid
A strengthened version of Harborth's well-known conjecture -- known as Kleber's conjecture -- states that every planar graph admits a planar straight-line drawing where every edge has integer length and each vertex is restricted to the integer grid. Positive results for Kleber's conjecture are known for planar 3-regular graphs, for planar graphs that have maximum degree 4, and for planar 3-trees. However, all but one of the existing results are existential and do not provide bounds on the requi…