444: It Is If You Do It Wrong
Peter Griffin, a consultant at Slalom, discusses his journey into embedded systems and hardware design while building custom operant boxes and elevated zero mazes for his wife Gwen’s neuroscience lab. He details the mechanical engineering challenges of 3D printing, specifically dealing with tolerances and transitioning from Tinkercad to SolidWorks to ensure parts fit together reliably. Griffin also explains his strategy for making these devices accessible and reproducible through open-source designs and drop-shipping, while navigating the complexities of supply chain and manufacturing for non-standard components.