[Cuis] Audio and Video Object Analysis

[Ken Dickey]

On Tue, 17 Dec 2013 21:37:34 -0800 (PST)
Kirk Fraser <overcomer.man at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thank you for the articles.  I spent a lot of time today looking at Python
> and I do like Smalltalk best.  But tell me, would you trust Cuis or any
> Smalltalk to run your driverless car - during garbage collection?

Yes. Dynamic (garbage collected) languages are used in real-time applications.  Interestingly, one area this came up in was interactive video games which drove some GC research in real systems.

For "hard real time" (guaranteed duty cycle) you need to plan and measure.  Many objects are pre-allocated and reused.  There are also GC algorithms which cost more per allocation but bound worst case gc time [e.g. treadmill, train].  You have to measure object allocation rate(s) and know what is going on with the system -- just like the rest of the car.

In general you use the old engineering strategy, excess capacity.  You need to measure to know what the capacity is.

Cheers,
-KenD