#Geometry Twins

[toxictoad]

Good morning and happy Halloween everybody. Now suffer

Stanley Pines is the only father ever, actually.

(I'm gonna ramble under the cut now)

GODS the angst is killing me. I wish I had more energy to write because I would be stuck on route 4 forever. The geometry twins grow up knowing that Ford is their dad. Ford, who they're all trying to bring back for the twins' entire lives. They build him up in their heads- Stan tells them about his brilliant, dorky brother and smooths over the not-so-good parts because he isn't gonna badmouth a man to his own children, even if he is kind of a jerk.

But Ford didn't raise them, Stan did. Stan poured blood sweat and tears into this life for these kids, and the whole time he feels like he's stealing something, because Ford should be there. He should be there for their first steps or their first day of school or when they accomplish something.

But he isn't. And when Ford comes back there's a sort of expectation (As well as dread and bitter resignation on Stan's part) that he'll just become their father again. Stan fully expects to get put aside in favor of the twins' "real father".

But he isn't. Because even if they're stupid kids when Ford comes out of that portal Juno and Quentin know one thing:

Stanford Pines is their father, but Stanley Pines is their dad.

[toxictoad]

Juno: Blaring music, illegal substances and at least one arrest. It's not a real rager unless someone calls the cops. There's some guy from the 5th dimension here and he's selling pills you've never even heard of. Someone will die and it's not going to bring the vibe down.

Quentin: Hates the very concept of a party. His ideal hangout is a maximum of twelve people sitting in silence and occasionally sharing snacks.

Their compromise is that Quin gets his very own isolation closet during parties. He likes it in there. It's cozy.

What is your OC’s idea of a party?

[iloveacronix]

Acronix playing papa louie games is my biggest, greatest, and most powerful HC of all

[xponentialdesign]

always remember never forget

[terrabits0]

My three favorite things

[toxictoad]

I LOVE THEM <3<3<3

PORTAL BABIES MY BELOVED <3<3<3

@toxictoad's Billford fankids! I hope you don't mind I went with route 3 specifically, was inspired by some of your recent art. So here's a drawing of them + A doodle of poor recently-post portal incident Stanford(Like first few years yknow) running from whoever knows what with his equally poor kiddos.

[jcmarchi]

New AI Systems Transform Robot Adaptation to Real-World Spaces

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/new-ai-systems-transform-robot-adaptation-to-real-world-spaces/

New AI Systems Transform Robot Adaptation to Real-World Spaces

The field of robotics has long grappled with a significant challenge: training robots to function effectively in dynamic, real-world environments. While robots excel in structured settings like assembly lines, teaching them to navigate the unpredictable nature of homes and public spaces has proven to be a formidable task. The primary hurdle? A scarcity of diverse, real-world data needed to train these machines.

In a new development from the University of Washington, researchers have unveiled two innovative AI systems that could potentially transform how robots are trained for complex, real-world scenarios. These systems leverage the power of video and photo data to create realistic simulations for robot training.

RialTo: Creating Digital Twins for Robot Training

The first system, named RialTo, introduces a novel approach to creating training environments for robots. RialTo allows users to generate a “digital twin” – a virtual replica of a physical space – using nothing more than a smartphone.

Dr. Abhishek Gupta, an assistant professor at the University of Washington’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering and co-senior author of the study, explains the process: “A user can quickly scan a space with a smartphone to record its geometry. RialTo then creates a ‘digital twin’ simulation of the space.”

This digital twin isn’t just a static 3D model. Users can interact with the simulation, defining how different objects in the space function. For instance, they can demonstrate how drawers open or appliances operate. This interactivity is crucial for robot training.

Once the digital twin is created, a virtual robot can repeatedly practice tasks in this simulated environment. Through a process called reinforcement learning, the robot learns to perform tasks effectively, even accounting for potential disruptions or changes in the environment.

The beauty of RialTo lies in its ability to transfer this virtual learning to the physical world. Gupta notes, “The robot can then transfer that learning to the physical environment, where it’s nearly as accurate as a robot trained in the real kitchen.”

URDFormer: Generating Simulations from Internet Images

While RialTo focuses on creating highly accurate simulations of specific environments, the second system, URDFormer, takes a broader approach. URDFormer aims to generate a vast array of generic simulations quickly and cost-effectively.

Zoey Chen, a doctoral student at the University of Washington and lead author of the URDFormer study, describes the system’s unique approach: “URDFormer scans images from the internet and pairs them with existing models of how, for instance, kitchen drawers and cabinets will likely move. It then predicts a simulation from the initial real-world image.”

This method allows researchers to rapidly generate hundreds of diverse simulated environments. While these simulations may not be as precise as those created by RialTo, they offer a crucial advantage: scale. The ability to train robots across a wide range of scenarios can significantly enhance their adaptability to various real-world situations.

Chen emphasizes the importance of this approach, particularly for home environments: “Homes are unique and constantly changing. There’s a diversity of objects, of tasks, of floorplans and of people moving through them. This is where AI becomes really useful to roboticists.”

By leveraging internet images to create these simulations, URDFormer dramatically reduces the cost and time required to generate training environments. This could potentially accelerate the development of robots capable of functioning in diverse, real-world settings.

Democratizing Robot Training

The introduction of RialTo and URDFormer represents a significant leap towards democratizing robot training. These systems have the potential to dramatically reduce the costs associated with preparing robots for real-world environments, making the technology more accessible to researchers, developers, and potentially even end-users.

Dr. Gupta highlights the democratizing potential of this technology: “If you can get a robot to work in your house just by scanning it with your phone, that democratizes the technology.” This accessibility could accelerate the development and adoption of home robotics, bringing us closer to a future where household robots are as common as smartphones.

The implications for home robotics are particularly exciting. As homes represent one of the most challenging environments for robots due to their diverse and ever-changing nature, these new training methods could be a game-changer. By enabling robots to learn and adapt to individual home layouts and routines, we might see a new generation of truly helpful household assistants capable of performing a wide range of tasks.

Complementary Approaches: Pre-training and Specific Deployment

While RialTo and URDFormer approach the challenge of robot training from different angles, they are not mutually exclusive. In fact, these systems can work in tandem to provide a more comprehensive training regimen for robots.

“The two approaches can complement each other,” Dr. Gupta explains. “URDFormer is really useful for pre-training on hundreds of scenarios. RialTo is particularly useful if you’ve already pre-trained a robot, and now you want to deploy it in someone’s home and have it be maybe 95% successful.”

This complementary approach allows for a two-stage training process. First, robots can be exposed to a wide variety of scenarios using URDFormer’s rapidly generated simulations. This broad exposure helps robots develop a general understanding of different environments and tasks. Then, for specific deployments, RialTo can be used to create a highly accurate simulation of the exact environment where the robot will operate, allowing for fine-tuning of its skills.

Looking ahead, researchers are exploring ways to further enhance these training methods. Dr. Gupta mentions future research directions: “Moving forward, the RialTo team wants to deploy its system in people’s homes (it’s largely been tested in a lab).” This real-world testing will be crucial in refining the system and ensuring its effectiveness in diverse home environments.

Challenges and Future Prospects

Despite the promising advancements, challenges remain in the field of robot training. One of the key issues researchers are grappling with is how to effectively combine real-world and simulation data.

Dr. Gupta acknowledges this challenge: “We still have to figure out how best to combine data collected directly in the real world, which is expensive, with data collected in simulations, which is cheap, but slightly wrong.” The goal is to find the optimal balance that leverages the cost-effectiveness of simulations while maintaining the accuracy provided by real-world data.

The potential impact on the robotics industry is significant. These new training methods could accelerate the development of more capable and adaptable robots, potentially leading to breakthroughs in fields ranging from home assistance to healthcare and beyond.

Moreover, as these training methods become more refined and accessible, we might see a shift in the robotics industry. Smaller companies and even individual developers could have the tools to train sophisticated robots, potentially leading to a boom in innovative robotic applications.

The future prospects are exciting, with potential applications extending far beyond current use cases. As robots become more adept at navigating and interacting with real-world environments, we could see them taking on increasingly complex tasks in homes, offices, hospitals, and public spaces.

[tanadrin]

I love the lists of regular polyhedra on Wikipedia

behold, the deltoidal hexecontahedron:

the great rhobihexahedron:

here we have the ditrigonal dodecicosidodecahedron:

the great retrosnub icosidodecahedron:

the beautiful twins, the sixteenth stellation of the icosidodecahedron, and her sister, the seventeenth stellation of same:

they look like some kind of mysterious and terrible Pokemon to me.

and lastly, her royal majesty, the final stellation of the icosahedron:

once when i was a child, i had a terrible earache that afflicted my dreams with nightmares of acute geometry. i think i saw her there, bloody and majestic, hovering above my bed.

[toxictoad]

Addition AU!

Meet the Geometry Twins/Billford Babies :3

Okay so the idea of this AU is that Bill gets insecure and possessive and babytraps FtM Ford, so the Geometry Anomaly Twins are born around the time that Fiddleford gets dunked in the portal. Could either be like an actual pregnancy or some weird extradimensional shit.

I'm gonna take a note from @/honeqq and have different routes for this because I can't decide what to do.

Route #1- Canon happens more or less the same. Ford gets portal-ed when they're babies. They live in the Nightmare dimension with Bill until Weirdmaggedon but they visit Ford in his dreams. They side with the Pines during the final showdown.

Route #2- The same as route 1 but they side with Bill during Weirdmaggedon. When they lose they're sent to interdimensional juvy and get released to Ford when they serve their sentence.

Route #3- Ford gets portal-ed before they're born, so they end up tagging along with him in the multiverse and hiding from Bill. Ford comes out of the portal a single father. Bill takes them during Weirdmaggedon.

Route #4- Bill abandons them after Ford is portal-ed. Stanley now has to raise Ford's interdimensional children by himself. More or less the same as route 1.

I'll add more later. I think it would be funny to make Fiddleford raise them somehow.

[peanutsreblogs]

"Um… What happened to Geometry Falls while I was away?"

I was pondering on if the Demonic Twins' old world would have been like an Euclydian version of Gravity Falls. So I thought it would be funny if their world was where fanon Tad Strange came from.

[sicklyseraphnsuch]

It's DNA

I was watching Smough's video, and he featured this sacred seal from the Erdtree peoples who were inspired by the Hornsent peoples.

The Land of the Tower (Hornsent) considered helixes as some kind of divine geometry/symbol. The double helix is notably calls to mind either the Caduceus symbol of medicine (twin snakes in a double helix - wink nudge nudge) OR...

It looks like a strand of DNA.

The Crucible wasnt just the primordial form of the Erd Tree. It was the primordial form of Everything - all living beings. To be Crucible blessed like the Hornsent is to acquire a mixture of active genes that would be have been recessive otherwise- thats why you get wings, horns, tails. (We share 90% or so of our DNA with like flies or bananas!)

Everyone is technically born from the Crucible and (as Marika proves by birthing OMEN sons) the Hornsent/Shaman are the same species!! Again recessive genes that get activated maybe?

And guess what? Splicing, grafting - that could be done to trees... or DNA... Godrick's prized practice is essentially a revised version of what the Crucible does naturally to living creatures.

The Crucible = The Gene Pool

[legobiwan]

Gravity Falls fic rec list...Part 2.

I should be grading writing right now, but in the spirit of procrastination, I'm going to instead post about my favorite new fics that have emerged in the post-Book of Bill era.

~~~~~~

Gen Fics

A Mariner’s Guide to the Unexplained by mariezies

Another fic that tackles the idea of Stan's criminal past coming back to haunt him as the elder Pines twins take to the sea. What I really like about this fic are Ford's inner monologues and in particular, the way he overthinks his interactions with his brother post-Weirdmaggedon due to the crushing level of guilt he feels. Bonus points for the incredibly adorable cat OC who joins the twins on the Stan o'War II. Incomplete.

We're Still Here by Simplistic_Apricity

What if Stan hadn't knocked Ford through the portal in 1982 and stuck around Gravity Falls instead? A bajillion fics have been written about this concept, but this one takes a slightly different approach as to the fallout from a Bill-possessed Ford attacking his brother as Ford slowly (slowly) comes to terms with what exactly he has wrought in that basement. The characterization and interactions of the twins and Fiddleford are incredibly grounded, avoiding melodrama while still being wildly effective. Incomplete. TWs for violence and medical trauma.

~~~~~~

Billford Fics

Not to sound like a 2013 hipster, but I do want to state that I hopped on this seafaring vessel pre-BoB and am delighted to witness the explosion of works exploring the demented, tortured relationship between these two absolute disasters. I've decided to let my cringe flag fly high and free here, with the caveat that I only indulge in triangle!Bill stories (accept no substitutions), as, let's face it, Ford is a freak (affectionate) and he loves his geometry.

Statement Abnegation by Anonymous

This one probably needs no introduction, but I'd be wholly remiss if I didn't include it on my list. A+ characterization of both Ford and Bill and it fucking nails the landing. Ford is taken prisoner during Weirdmaggedon, but this time Bill's playing for keeps. Complete. TWs for torture, death (temporary), Stockholm syndrome, and explicit sexual content.

apology tour by dolorous

There's something downright wistful about this story, which presents as "crack taken seriously" when Bill chooses Ford to be his keeper/chaperone as part of a Theraprism-mandated apology tour to those he has wronged post-BoB. Ford hates Bill. Ford sometimes doesn't hate Bill. Ford definitely hates Bill. And now they're stuck on the road trip from hell. Complete. Implied past (current/future?) relationship, no sexual content.

Then it becomes, it becomes, it becomes a problem by tempusedaxrerum

Takes place post-Betrayal but (so far) pre-Stanley arriving in Gravity Falls. Bill is determined to drag Ford into opening the Portal, kicking and screaming (limbs optional). Features an incredibly well-developed OC who is battling demons of her own when she has the misfortune of crossing paths with both Bill and Ford on a snowy evening in Oregon. Incomplete. TWs for violence, attempted sexual assault via possession, substance abuse.

Live, Laugh, Lather, Rinse, Repeat by ShibaIntuit

The conceit of this story is absolutely wild. Essentially, Ford eats a cursed piece of pizza and suffers from existential indigestion. The world-building once Ford is in the multiverse is delightful as an older Ford tries to renegotiate his past with a Bill Cipher of thirty years previous. Incomplete. TWs for violence.

as falls gravity so falls gravity falls by underwater_owl

A series of three stories that take a deep dive into Ford's subconscious while exploring the idea of the Axolotl placing Bill under Ford's mental power due to shenanigans you are better off reading about than me explaining here. Bait & Switch is the main narrative, which is a gen work featuring the whole extended Pines family plus Mabel and Dipper's mother, while Because & Despite and Cause & Effect explore the intense psychosexual relationship between Ford and Bill before and during the events of Bait & Switch. These last two stories really dig into the nature of Ford's deepest and darkest desires and the utterly twisted relationship between Ford and Bill. Incomplete. TWs for explicit sexual content (read the tags on those two last stories, folks! This author isn't, or is, I suppose, fucking around).

Snakes in the Garden by Miss_Ginger_Bread

Another Jimmy Snakes story! Because both Pines twins have terrible taste in men/demonic entities. A ghost from Stan's past shows up in Norway, prompting Ford to take matters into his own hands. Lovely interactions between the Pines twins, including a murderous, protective Ford and a Ford who is harboring a gigantic, triangle-shaped secret from his brother. Incomplete. TWs for abusive relationships.

[playawner]

I'M SO GLAD YOU ACTUALLY LIKED IT SJDNSNDNEANAKEAMEAMD

Is also funny because I ALSO grew up with both mlp and gd stuff. So why not if there was a chance of combining them both for fun SKKWWKKWKAWKWKSKESNEKAEAKA

(Warning for infodump in tags-)

Yoooo I heard my little pony: friendship is magic, is going to have a new season after years of ending!!!!! Featuring this new character as the main antagonist of the first two new episodes!!!! Wonder what it will be his name ngl 👀👀👀

Sorry if you have to see this abomination, I've wanted to draw your funny Robtop design for a few weeks but... idk how to draw him yet so I had to ponify him... plus I have been into a lot of mlp related stuff lately so like

I hope that's okay for you </3 and happy april fools lol! (At least here)

I HAD TO GRAB THE EDGE OF THE TABLE CAUSE I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY EYES HAHEAAHFTYFGRXUDJFYDFH IT'S PERFECT IT'S PERFECT IT'S PERFECT!!!!! Funny that you drew him as a pony cause mlp was one of the main reasons I got into art at all so this is coming full circle for me AND HIM BEING AN ANTAGONIST it makes me want to unironically make a fake screenshot KYRWUKKETFYGE IT'S SO GOOD THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOUUUUU this made me kick my feet back and forth and giggle.

I really had to draw pony Rubrub cause how could you not?????

[dnpanimationstudioclone]

Andrealphus Redesign❄️🦚

For today I decided to show my redesign of the Ice wannabe King himself, Marquis Andrealphus!!!!🦚❄️🦚❄️🦚❄️🦚❄️ I had a lot of fun with this(ngl Lovesart23 design video def helped me brainstorm what to do with him!)

Went for a lot greener blues like teal for a kinda Aurora borealis vibe and contrast with Stolas deeper more royal night blues. Plus he’s a peacock. A lot of his colors r on the arctic blue palette!❄️

For my Andre I imagine he’s in charge of monitoring the celestial activity in the northern skies hence the whole arctic look while Stolas is focused on the bigger parts in the main galaxy 🌌 like the moon 🌙 & constellations 🌌 also does tutoring in geometry(like his real counterpart) among other Goetia stuff. He wants to freeze the education system so much.

Def dig the idea of him being a partial albino peacock. I headcanon his dads a full colored one while his mothers white. As for Stella, she’s only half siblings(her father was a swan aswell as a royal courtesan🦢💋)

Gave him a fancy mink fur coat cause ofcourse he’d be wearing that.

Exposed his wings more, separating them from his outfit more and giving him the eye markings, longer neck(he and Stella long neck twins), bigger beak and head feathers!🦚

Added a lot of diamond shapes for both the royal vibe but also his ice theme 🧊👑💎💎💎

Removed his gloves to show blue talons!!! Also exposed his legs!!!!

Gave him a diamond gemstone, with a snowflake lining like his OG coats snowflake❄️

Eyeshadow.

Gave him a buffer but still slender build. Gave him pupils and made his eyes more teal.

Removed the crown as he’s a marquis not a prince(coincidentally my mom suggested a crown before I told her his rank🤣 so got the vibes perfectly he wants one)

I’ve also done I.M.P, his family(hates calling Stolas that), Verosika and Striker.

MERRY SINSMAS!!!!!!❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

What do u guys think? I’d love to know💖

[onelonelyghost0]

Ok, something I thought of while waiting for my college stuff and doodling, how would Dipper and Mabel react to eyes/paranoia/geometry? Like I’ve read so many good Mystery Twin aus that do so much justice to them but like… there’s varying reactions to that.

Hear me out; I recognize that most people do very much turn into hermits or try their best to avoid cameras and eyes and stuff but, being someone who constantly thinks something is watching them, what if they went the complete opposite? For me, if I know what’s watching me is mine/watching out for my good, it’s better. I routinely draw eyes on myself to act as “watchers” and tbh it helps with the anxiety for some reason. What would the twins do for this?

I completely see them hating the Eye of Providence, crossing out triangles on their homework, finding every possible way to protect themselves, but again, what if they employed their own “watchers”?

We have no idea if this could work in universe (at least I don’t) and again, it could just be for comfort. I love it when I know people are watching me, but if there’s none of that, I’m convinced something is watching me to bring about destruction. Yes it’s awful and I’m working on it but the eyes help. I’ve sewn eyes onto clothes, drawn them on my notebooks, hell I usually have them somewhere on my actual skin because I feel that they watch out for me.

Give me Dipper who tattoos his own runes and eyes on himself, taking them back and warding himself for his paranormal research. Who slowly becomes more and more eldrich the more time he spends with the creatures, who is constantly aware of everything because the eyes he has can see for him, at least slightly. Give me Dipper who knows everything about everyone, who has panic attacks because of what he Knows, who has to be careful of what he says to people, who begins to question if he is now like Bill, if he will use this the wrong way, who begins to seclude himself, because he would never cheat the world with this, but he would help it.

Give me Mabel who does the same, but more quietly. She always puts an eye on her sweaters and jewelry, for herself and for others. Who doesn’t delve into the world that Dipper loves, but still sees it. She doesn’t need anything to see the Fae now, nor the creatures who take measures to never be seen by humans. Give me Mabel who becomes like a protector, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear for the kids who don’t know what to do. She can see their emotions, and can push them towards the right decision, but always remembers that if she goes too far with her new skills she could still create the next weirdmaggedon. The knowledge crushes her as she draws another eye, this time across her collarbone, she cannot afford to hurt others again. She squares her shoulders and goes out to help again, to stabilize her brother, and to Watch. She knows Bill, knows his tricks, knows how he used everyone around her, and she will never let it happen again.

Give me Mystery Twins who become not so human anymore. Not on purpose, no, they never wanted this. But they will not put the responsibility they picked up on anyone else’s shoulders. Give me the twins who cannot back down, who negotiate with the creatures of this world to not wage war against the humans, who work behind the scenes to better the lives of human and nonhuman alike. Give me the forbidden knowledge they lay claim to. They stop aging after a while. No one notices. They are too focused on keeping the bad away. Too focused on keeping Bill out, trapped, and keeping themselves safe.

Give me Mystery Twins that become cryptids. They protect their homes, and they do so with tooth and nail. They will fight dirty, and they will play every hand they have, but they will not cross certain lines. Mabel can manipulate someone into doing whatever she wants, but she will never push them too far. Dipper could lay out your darkest fears, push them into your brain, forcing you to live them over and over, but he will never stoop as low as Bill.

Anyway, this went way further than I thought it would and if people like it I’ll write a fic ig, the ideas are all swirling around in my brain, but I just had this idea and had to share. Being someone who deals with wondering what is good and bad and how people feel and what is convincing vs manipulating, I saw myself a lot in the twins, and also in Bill, and I’ve worked to make it better. But I love the idea of the eyes I draw looking out for me, and I wonder if the twins would like it too.

And how everyone else would react when the eyes end up actually watching them.

Maybe I could call it the Watcher AU?

[creep-tober]

Creeptober 2024

It's that time of year again. The days are getting shorter. The nights, darker. There's a chill in the air that heralds autumn's arrival*, and with it a whole month of horror... and art.

*some poetic license used. trying to will this into existence.

Yes, it's Creeptober again, themed this year around the Spiral. As usual, however, that need not influence your creative vision. All manner of creepy, kooky, mysterious, and/or spooky pieces are welcome, be they drawn, written, sung, or any other form of art.

As usual, just @ the blog in your art pieces, and I'll reblog them. Happy spooky season, everyone!

(Prompt list transcript under the cut)

Creeptober 2024 prompt list

Locked In

Whereabouts Unknown

Fear Itself

Phone Call

Doors

Static

Mirror

Sleep No More

Memory

Graveyard Shift

Poetry

Maniacal Laughter

Deer...?

Overwhelming Sensation

Trapped

Behind the Mask

Strange Geometry

It Takes You Away

Hometown Secrets

Warped Perceptions

Weird Architecture

Evil Twin

The Late Late Late Late Show

Just Around the Corner

Distance

Creative

Loving the Monster

Passion Project

Antique

Library

Slipped Through the Cracks