Remembering 9/11

Today is September 11. I never forget. Here’s what I wrote back on this date in 2009, as I recalled the events of that tragic day eight years earlier.

Sep 11, 2025

I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, near Red Hook and the docks. My father and uncles owned a bodega on Columbia Street, and we lived upstairs in a small apartment. From my bedroom window, I could see pigeons lining the rooftops, longshoremen walking to work, and further out, the river and the Manhattan skyline. When I think of the Twin Towers, I think of my childhood, hot summer days looking out the window, car horns and city sounds, the color of the sky at sunset and the glitter of office lights, thousands and thousands of them.

Where were you on September 11, 2001 when the planes hit the towers?

Using Robots to Load/Unload Trucks

A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted how “new advances in robotics are [enabling the automation of truck loading and unloading]. Improved sensors and algorithms, advancements in AI and faster image-processing technology are making these robots proficient players in tasks that are like a game of 3-D Tetris.” This survey sought to understand industry readiness, key challenges, and opportunities associated with using robots to load or unload trucks.

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