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In mathematics, computer science, and related subjects, an 'algorithm' is an effective method for solving a problem expressed as a finite sequence of instructions. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and many other fields. (In more advanced or abstract settings, the instructions do not necessarily constitute a finite sequence, or even a sequence; see, for example, "nondeterministic algorithm".) Each algorithm is a list of well-defined instructions for completing a task. Starting from an initial state, the instructions describe a computation that proceeds through a well-defined series of successive states, eventually terminating in a final ending state. The transition from one state to the next is not necessarily deterministic; some algorithms, known as randomized algorithms, incorporate randomness. [source = Bing Reference]

Microsoft Research who brought us some wonderful technologies such as the incredible Photosynth continue to impress with a much improved web mapping application integrated with the company's new Bing search engine. During the TED 2010 conference, Microsoft engineer Blaise Aguera y Arcas demoed the new Bing augmented reality maps showing real-time registration of video taken with a smart phone and street-view type maps. He showed how the live video can be overlayed over the static images and additional information about the area can be accessed via a Web interface. Much of this is made possible because of the advanced computer vision technology that has been developed in the past decade at Microsoft Research. The Seadragon technology is the back-end that makes it possible to manipulate such vast amounts of data in real-time. Microsoft has also integrated Photosynth and Worldwide telescope into their maps product. You are probably wondering what does this have to do with robotics other than the fact that it is a very impressive application? I can imagine robots using Bing maps to keep localized within a city. One of the most difficult and important problem in robotics is that of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping. Bing maps solve the mapping problem and the new vision techniques (with a bit of help from GPS) can be used to solve the localization problem. The registered video can be used by a robot to localized itself when it goes out to buy your weekly groceries.  You can watch the 10-minute demo below; I bet that it won't be long before Microsoft makes these new features available to us all for free.

A little over a mile from the Wolfram Research Europe Ltd. office, where I work, lies Blenheim Palace, which has a rather nice hedge maze. As I was walking around it on the weekend, I remembered a map solving example by Peter Overmann using new image processing features in an upcoming version of Mathematica. I was excited to apply the idea to this real-world example. Once back at my computer, I started by using Bing Maps to get the aerial photo (data created by Intermap, NAVTEQ, and Getmapping plc).