Learn how robots learn. Deep reinforcement is a subfield of machine learning that focuses on how to make decisions through trial-and-error and reward-based feedback. New to BearPeak? - Watch a client testimonial . - Explore our software studio . - Learn more about us . Software Agents: Programs that perform actions to achieve a particular goal. All agents are programs, but not all programs are agents. Commonly-used agents include internet search systems, e-mail inboxes, shopping bots, form auto-fillers, and chatbots. In a game, an agent might use search algorithms to explore different moves and evaluate their outcomes. In a robotic application, an agent might use sensors and machine learning to figure out how to navigate the environment and perform tasks. Key qualities of agents include that they are: Reacting to their environment Autonomous Goal-Oriented Persistent An agent can be implemented using various approaches. These include rule-based systems, search algorithms, and the kind we'll be looking at today: machine learning techniques like reinforcement learning. With this technique, an agent is trained to perform a task by interacting with its environment and receiving feedback in the form of rewards. The agent then uses this feedback to learn a policy that maximizes its rewards over time. It's like the saying: Practice Makes Perfect The agent not only learns how to perform a task, but how to improve its performance for the best result. It practices different methods while searching for the best solution. A great visual example of this is learning how to walk. A teacher can only warn the student about so many variables in the terrain. The student must learn from its trips, fumbles, and falls to walk better next time. Meet Cassie, a bipedal robot at Berkley who taught herself  to walk utilizing machine reinforcement learning. In the video, Hybrid Robotics provides a useful chart for understanding the reinforcement learning cycle. Deep reinforcement learning has shown great promise in robotics, game playing, and autonomous driving. How does a Python programmer write code that teaches an agent to do something new? Two of the most popular Python libraries for this technique are OpenAI Gym and TensorFlow. OpenAI Gym is a toolkit for developing and comparing reinforcement learning algorithms, while TensorFlow is an open-source software library for machine learning and AI. Let's take a closer look at what that means and how these libraries can be used together to implement deep reinforcement learning: OpenAI Gym : The Practice Space OpenAI Gym  provides a wide range of environments for testing reinforcement learning algorithms. These environments simulate a variety of tasks, such as controlling a robot arm, playing a game of Atari, or navigating a maze. Each environment provides: An observation of the current state A set of possible actions A reward for each action A way to transition to the next state Again, the agent learns to perform the task by interacting with the environment and receiving feedback in the form of rewards. One environment is the The CartPole environment , which consists of a pole moving along a frictionless track. The system is controlled by applying a force of +1 or -1 to the cart. The pendulum starts upright, and the goal is to prevent it from falling over. Here is an example of how to use OpenAI Gym to simulate a CartPole environment: In this code snippet, we create an instance of the CartPole-v0 environment and reset it to the initial state. We then run a loop for 100 time steps, during which we choose a random action from the set of possible actions, perform the action in the environment, and render the result. We continue until the task is completed (done=True), or until the loop terminates. The challenge presented to the software agent is to keep the cart pole balanced, even as these random movements pull it towards the ground. TL/DR: OpenAi Gym provides a digital practice space (like a gym) to place a software agent and teach it to teach itself. Now, all we need is the class curriculum. TensorFlow: The Lesson TensorFlow  is a powerful library for building and training deep neural networks. In the context of reinforcement learning, TensorFlow can be used to implement the agent's policy, which maps observations to actions. This policy can be represented by a neural network that takes the current state as input and outputs a probability distribution over the possible actions. Here is an example of how to use TensorFlow to build a simple neural network for the CartPole environment: In this code snippet, we define a neural network with two hidden layers of size 32 and an output layer with   softmax activation  that outputs a probability distribution over the possible actions. We then create an instance of the CartPole-v0 environment and obtain an observation of the current state. We reshape the observation to match the input shape of the neural network and use it to obtain a probability distribution over the actions. We then choose an action randomly from this distribution. Combining OpenAI Gym and TensorFlow for Deep Reinforcement To combine OpenAI Gym and TensorFlow, we can use TensorFlow to implement the agent's policy and OpenAI Gym to provide the environment. To put a picture to it: We create a practice room, place our student in it, and tell it what the objective is. In the CartPole environment, we're challenging the software agent to balance the pole even when the cart is randomly moved back and forth on the track. The software agent tries again and again, learning what happens when it makes a wrong move, until it learns the best way to keep the pole balanced. Success! Looking to add a Python Programmer to your team? If this doesn't sound like your field of expertise, hire someone who can help! Software consultancies like BearPeak Technology Group have expert developers. Check us out! We're a Boulder, Colorado-based team of engineers who help you hire remote software developers efficiently and reliably. We offer free consultations and are dedicated to your startup's success. It's important for us to disclose the multiple authors of this blog post: The original outline was written by chat.openai, an exciting new AI language model. The content was then edited and revised by Lindey Hoak. "OpenAI (2023-2024). ChatGPT. Retrieved from https://openai.com/api-beta/gpt-3/ " BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, strategy, and staffing services. The startup studio takes ideas from concept to reality. The strategy services range from Fractional CTO mentors to architecture and specialized skillset services. for startups, businesses, and entrepreneurs. The staffing services assist teams in connecting with high-quality software developers. If one of these sounds like the solution for you, get in touch with BearPeak for a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact .

What exactly does a graphic designer do every day? The daily schedule of an online employee can seem like a mystery; When you only see their occasional notifications and meet for video calls every couple of days, the other details of their work go unknown. Most of our team no longer works in an office, so let's take this opportunity to share what the BearPeak team members do in a day. Follow along with our Graphic Designer Lindey through her typical work day. New to BearPeak? - Watch a client testimonial. - Explore our software studio. - Learn more about us. 8:00am - Wake Up & Planning Working from home, I have the luxury of a calm morning routine. I roll out of bed and prepare a cup of hot chai. While eating breakfast, I usually scroll through Notion on my phone, adding and rearranging my to-do list of tasks for the day. My BearPeak role consists of both graphic design and social media management, so I'll be spending my day making art and social posts. 10:00am - Video Call Meetings Depending on the workday, I attend meetings to discuss our current email campaigns, advertising, and the upcoming social media posts we have scheduled for LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. 11:00am - Graphic Design Work I prefer to dive right into my biggest projects right away; My ideas are fresh from the meetings, and I have a clear set of objectives from my morning to-do list. It's important to note that not all of my tasks will be completed in one day: Any artist knows that a quick sketch or minor vector adjustment often turns into something much longer. Artwork takes multiple days, returning to the project with new perspectives and ideas. One of the nicest perks about doing art for a living is the ability to listen to something as I work. From dozens of Spotify playlists to audiobooks, I often have something going in the background. I also have the strange ability to look at any art I've completed and remember what I was listening to as I created it, like a visual time capsule. I'm also a big fan of pomodoro videos, which help me power through work in 25-minute increments and remind me to take 5-minute breaks in between. BearPeak's graphic design work consists of edits, rearrangements, and new designs. We purchase artwork on Vecteezy, which I download and open in Adobe Illustrator. Then, I edit the artwork to fit our style, adjusting anchor points and handles, replacing colors and patterns, sometimes completely redrawing. However, only having to modify artwork saves hours of time that would have gone into rough sketches, movement & flow, aka lots of trial and error. 12:00pm - Lunch What's for lunch? Likely leftovers: Falafels and stir-fried vegetables are two of my favorites. Otherwise, I'll cook a pot of rice with chicken curry and naan. Whatever I eat, I aim for all my food groups and a lot of water to help me focus when I get back into my work. For the remainder of my lunch break, I stay away from computer screens because I know the juxtaposition will freshen my ideas (and help avoid eye strain). I like to watercolor, read books, and take walks outside. 1:00pm - Work I do well with challenges and time pressure, so I like to pick one project and aim to complete it within the hour. Most often, that challenge is in Buffer, our choice for social media planning software. I'll aim to finish organizing and writing a week's worth of posts before the hour's up. Since we love Boulder, Colorado so much and appreciate the hometown that has helped us grow , we like to share current local events. I take time every week to catch up on what's happening in Boulder and add the best highlights to our upcoming post calendar. 2:00pm - Exercise To keep my brain focused (and my body from morphing into the shape of my desk chair), I make sure to get in some exercise every day. I prefer yoga or a mat workout, both of which take about an hour. 3:00pm - Work The remainder of the workday is devoted to any outstanding projects. I turn on a Deep Focus playlist on Spotify and knock out a blog article or two. 6:00pm - Dinner Prep & Chores I enjoy the simple prep of measuring out the ingredients, throwing them all in an Instant Pot, setting the timer, and forgetting about dinner until it's ready. I take this time to clean up the apartment, take out the trash, finish folding and putting away the laundry, or do the dishes. Once it's ready, I like to watch TV while eating: Anything from Bob's Burgers to Grey's Anatomy, or sometimes a Studio Ghibli movie. 8:00pm - Winding Down The events of this time of day vary, but I often scroll TikTok, read, or play my newest video game obsession. This alternates between Rune Factory, The Sims, and Fallout 76. I also like writing my own novels, so late-night hours with a cup of chamomile are the perfect time to explore another passion. I make sure to be in bed before 10pm; I LOVE sleep, and I want to be freshly alert in the morning to have another excellent day of work. BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, strategy, and staffing services. The startup studio takes ideas from concept to reality. The strategy services range from Fractional CTO mentors to architecture and specialized skillset services. for startups, businesses, and entrepreneurs. The staffing services assist teams in connecting with high-quality software developers. If one of these sounds like the solution for you, get in touch with BearPeak for a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact.

In the software world, the terms architecture and design are closely related, sometimes even used interchangeably, but aren't really the same thing. Let's distinguish the differences between software architecture vs design, then discuss the importance of proper structure. "Just because architecture is supposed to be stable, it does not mean that it should never change." - Gereon Hermkes, Scaling Done Right New to BearPeak? - Watch a client testimonial. - Explore our software studio. - Learn more about us. To non-programmers, the world of coding gets confusing fast, especially when terms overlap but aren't exactly the same (for another example, see React vs. React Native). To discuss the roles of software design and architecture, it's important to first identify the differences: Software Architecture = The Big Picture The high-level, comprehensive structure of a software system. It includes: The overall organization Its components The relationships between them Software architecture involves making strategic design decisions that affect the system's quality attributes, such as scalability, reliability, and maintainability. It may help to picture software architecture as the trail on a map: Where the landmarks are, what type, and how the path connects from one to the next. Software architecture works similarly: Planning the big-picture pieces of a software structure. Software Design = The Details Defining and planning the detailed specifications for a software system. This involves: Creating a plan. Ensuring the plan meets the functional and non-functional requirements. Following standard design principles like modularity, abstraction, encapsulation, and separation of concerns. Design affects the quality of the software. This includes how easy it is to maintain and how well it meets the needs of its users. In our map analogy, software design would be the details of the landscape and trip. The important sights to include and avoid, any potential pitfalls, and what supplies to pack so you have enough for the journey. Now that we've distinguished software architecture from design, let's discuss why both plans are vital to a successful project: The Importance of Proper Architecture 1. Provides a Roadmap It's harder to get lost when you have a good, straight-forward guide. Software architecture sets the direction for the development process, defining the overall structure, the components it will contain, and how they will interact with one another. This helps the team to stay focused and aligned with the end goal. 2. Ensures Scalability Good software architecture ensures that the system can be scaled up or down as needed. By anticipating future growth and change, the architecture can be designed to accommodate; The system can adapt without requiring a complete overhaul. 3. Improves Maintainability Software architecture separates concerns and makes the system modular. This means that changes can be made to individual components without affecting the entire system, reducing the risk of introducing bugs or breaking the system. 4. Enhances Reliability Well-designed architecture makes the system more reliable by minimizing the risk of errors and failures. By building in redundancy and failover mechanisms, the system can continue to operate even if individual components fail. 5. Increases Reusability A well-designed software architecture can make the system more reusable, allowing components to be repurposed for other projects or reused within the same project. This can save time and resources by reducing the need to develop new components from scratch. The Importance of Proper Design 1. Requirements Analysis Proper software design starts with requirements analysis. This involves understanding the needs of the users and the system's functionality requirements. Considering these details ensures that the software system will meet the needs of its users. 2. High Quality Proper design means making a plan reliable, efficient, and easy to use. This is essential because it reduces the likelihood of bugs, crashes, and other problems that affect the user experience. It not only matters that software works, but that it can be navigated by human users. Proper design makes it easier for users to accomplish their tasks and reduces the likelihood of frustration and error. 3. Testing Proper software design includes testing to ensure that the software system meets its requirements and is high quality. Testing involves creating test cases that verify the behavior of the software system under different conditions. Testing ensures that the software system is reliable and free of bugs. 4. Easy to Maintain Well-designed software is modular, meaning it's made up of individual components that can be updated/modified without affecting the rest of the system. Both software architecture and software design make it easier to fix bugs and add new features without the risk of everything crashing down. Software Architecture vs Design In summary, proper software architecture is essential for developing high-quality, scalable, maintainable, and reliable software systems that meet the needs of their stakeholders. Proper software design is critical because it affects the quality of the software, how easy it is to maintain, and how well it meets the needs of users. By following these elements, software developers create exceptional plans that cover the big picture and small details of a project. Looking for a software developer who can take your company's code to this next level? Clean and efficient planning plus high-quality, scalable content? Contact us to get connected with an expert developer of your own! We always offer free consultations and reviews of your current code. It's important for us to disclose the multiple authors of this blog post: The original outline was written by chat.openai, an exciting new AI language model. The content was then edited and revised by Lindey Hoak. "OpenAI (2023). ChatGPT. Retrieved from https://openai.com/api-beta/gpt-3/" BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, strategy, and staffing services. The startup studio takes ideas from concept to reality. The strategy services range from Fractional CTO mentors to architecture and specialized skillset services. for startups, businesses, and entrepreneurs. The staffing services assist teams in connecting with high-quality software developers. If one of these sounds like the solution for you, get in touch with BearPeak for a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact.

FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY. BearPeak's Startup Design Studio will bring your ideas to life. Trusted by companies big & small Let's go on an expedition to... Build your MVP as you learn product management. With BearPeak's guidance, we'll drive you to product launch. Provide deliverables, not just advice. We're here to supply structure for your product process. Help you know and find your customer. Bring your idea to life. Empower Your Startup Journey You shouldn't have to give away pieces of your business just to get Let's Talk started. De-risk your venture and be your own first investor with BearPeak as your guide. How You'll Conquer the Tech Landscape Product Design What problem does your product solve? In this stage, we'll lead you through how to become a customer-focused, product-led, lean startup. Cross-Platform Solutions Next, we'll build a website and app for you with intentional design. Let's make your online presence seamlessly intuitive and intriguing. Data & Scalability A solid foundation will support your growth. We'll incorporate cloud-native infrastructure and automated deployments using i ndustry-best data & business intelligence. Bootstrapping = Success You're putting your skin in the game, demonstrating that your product is viable, and showing you have the motivation to find the right people. These traits look excellent to investors. We'll help get you in front of them and prepare you for that conversation. This is a foundation for initial and future startup success. Build the right product for the right reason in the right way. Connect with Our Startup Studio "I can not say enough great things about the people and quality of work at BearPeak. [They] demonstrated their technical expertise, attention to detail, and ability to execute and deliver in tackling the re-platforming of our central data store and conducting a thorough analysis of our storage platforms. These projects took deep technical analysis and collaboration, and BearPeak surpassed our expectations." Lee Gerakos President and CTO of TrainingPeaks Claim your free consultation by scheduling a call. LET'S HIT THE TRAIL!

OUR EXPERTS. YOUR GUIDES. Bring decades of experience to your team instantly. Trusted by companies big & small Fractional CTO Not all organizations need or have the resources to employ a full-time high-level executive. That's where we come in: providing a mentor at a fraction of the cost. Learn More Architecture Let's make your product intuitive and intriguing. We'll update your core technologies, organize your data, and build a solid foundation to support your next stage of growth. Learn More Specialized Skillsets Don't settle for stop-gap implementations. Build long-term solutions with expert problem-solvers. We'll bring the exact right skillsets to tackle your unique challenge. Learn More Skill Gaps Is your team prepared for the journey? Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Tech Best known for its role in crypto, blockchain has a much wider range of potential applications. But it can be difficult to find an engineer with the knowledge to work with it. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) While many engineers may have a basic understanding, the complexity and diversity of AI/ML technologies require specialized knowledge. Edge Computing and Internet of Things (IoT) There's a growing need to process data at the edge of the network. Many teams lack the necessary skills for a deep understanding of both hardware and software. Get Strategic Guidance on Your Own Schedule. A fractional CTO brings high-level technical expertise without a full-time salary commitment. This allows you to scale technical leadership up or down based on current requirements, which can be particularly valuable during startup phase changes. They bring a holistic view of your tech team, providing strategic guidance to help your team align with your business goals. A fractional CTO also brings valuable network connections that can benefit your startup by facilitating partnerships, collaborations, and access to new resources. People → Process → Product People: Build stronger bonds with your employees, customers, suppliers, and partners. Don't settle for a cut-and-paste program. Work with a team that has years of both leadership and engineering experience. Learn More About Us Fractional CTO Digital Transformations Our software studio offers a comprehensive overhaul of your organization's processes, culture, and technology landscape: - Strategic Assessment - Performance Tracking - Process Reengineering - Technology Integration - Analytic Insights - Leadership Alignment - Management Updates - Agile Implementation - Enhanced Customer Experience - Security and Compliance - Collaboration Tools - IoT Implementation - Cloud Adoption - Ecosystem Partnerships - Employee Empowerment - Sustainability - Outcome Evaluation - Continuous Improve ment Embrace digital innovations, enhance agility, and drive your business's growth in the modern digital age. Get Started Process Modernization The software world is ever-changing. Let's implement cutting-edge solutions to solve your business problems: - Performance Tracking - Management Updates - Risk Mitigatio n - UX Enhancement - Outcome Measurement - Scalability - AI Technology Integration (Automation, Machine Learning) - Workflow Redesign - CI/CD - Custom Solutions Resolve any efficiency issues, delays, or risks with innovative problem-solvers on your team. Let's Talk "I can not say enough great things about the people and quality of work at BearPeak. [They] demonstrated their technical expertise, attention to detail, and ability to execute and deliver in tackling the re-platforming of our central data store and conducting a thorough analysis of our storage platforms. These projects took deep technical analysis and collaboration, and BearPeak surpassed our expectations." Lee Gerakos President and CTO of TrainingPeaks OUR QUALITY GUARANTEE If any issues arise within the first 30 days, we will not invoice and you can walk away at no cost . All services come with this 30-day money-back guarantee because we're positive you'll have an amazing experience! Claim Your Free Code Review Claim your free consultation by scheduling a call. LET'S HIT THE TRAIL!

OUR NETWORK, YOUR TEAM. When was the last time your recruiter asked for GitHub access? Trusted by companies big & small Step into BearPeak's Dev Shop. BearPeak candidates tend to have Senior (6+ years) to Staff-level (12+ years) experience. Their top-quality skills will improve any organization, but you're free to put them through whatever hiring process you see fit. By starting with a free assessment of your current code & environment, we ensure that we're providing the best fit candidates for your project. Front-End Back-End Full-Stack Cloud 10x Front-End Developers These software specialists create visual and interactive web and app components. They enhance your user's experience through: - Optimized performance and responsiveness across devices and browsers. - Consistent experience through design patterns and coding standards. - Cutting-edge technologies and improvements. - Cross-functional team collaboration. - Recurrent testing and debugging. Connect with a Developer OUR QUALITY GUARANTEE If any issues arise within the first 30 days, we will not invoice and you can walk away at no cost . All services come with this 30-day money-back guarantee because we're positive you'll have an amazing experience! Claim Your Free Code Review 1. Tell us your talent needs, including technical skills & time availability. 2. Interview candidate(s) to assess cultural fit & technical aptitude. 3. Embed your new member, gaining skills that your team will carry forward. 4. You'll be assigned a free Delivery Director who will help assure that all your expectations are met. Let's Get Started Claim your free consultation by scheduling a call. LET'S HIT THE TRAIL!