# 91: Save Us From Astronauts

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2015-03-04
- Length: 56m
- Episode: 91
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-03-04-91-save-us-from-astronauts
- Listen: https://embedded.fm/episodes/2015/3/3/91-save-us-from-astronauts

## Summary

Sophi Kravitz, an electrical engineer and the 'Mythical Creature' (PR lead) for Hackaday, joins hosts Alicia and Christopher White to discuss the upcoming Hackaday Prize, which challenges participants to solve large-scale engineering problems like water conservation and solar power. Kravitz details her work on a soft robotics kit based on Harvard’s open-source toolkit, a balloon-based interactive art installation, and her recent travels to promote the prize in Chicago and at SXSW. The conversation also covers the importance of integrating marketing early in the product lifecycle, as observed at the HardwareCon startup conference, and the practical realities of designing PCBs and managing supply chains for small-batch manufacturing.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-03-04-91-save-us-from-astronauts#t=6) Introduction and Hackaday Prize Overview
- [2:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-03-04-91-save-us-from-astronauts#t=136) Hackaday Prize Themes and Judging Criteria
- [8:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-03-04-91-save-us-from-astronauts#t=509) Product Round and Incubator Details
- [15:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-03-04-91-save-us-from-astronauts#t=948) PCB Design Workshop with Matt Berggren
- [20:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-03-04-91-save-us-from-astronauts#t=1238) HardwareCon and Marketing Insights
- [30:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-03-04-91-save-us-from-astronauts#t=1843) Balloon Art Installation and Technical Details
- [37:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-03-04-91-save-us-from-astronauts#t=2229) Travel, Meetups, and Startup Culture
- [48:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-03-04-91-save-us-from-astronauts#t=2892) Soft Robotics Kit and Harvard Toolkit
- [52:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-03-04-91-save-us-from-astronauts#t=3176) Prize Launch and Final Thoughts

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Hackaday Prize (product)
- Matt Berggren (other)
- Harvard Soft Robotics Toolkit (product)
- Prime Sense (chip)
- Element14 (company)
- Supplyframe (company)
- HardwareCon (other)
- Satnogs (company)
- Power Tower (company)
- FITC (other)
- SXSW (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep032: Meteorite Snow Globes, Radioactive Ramjet Rockets, Autonomous Water Boxes, and Ball Reversers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-08-23-ep032-meteorite-snow-globes-radioactive-ramjet-rockets-autonomous-water-boxes-an) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [#397.1 - An Interview with Monica Houston and Alessandra Nölting](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-06-21-397-1-an-interview-with-monica-houston-and-alessandra-nolting) (The Amp Hour)
- [Ep108: Eulogizing Daft Punk Helmets, Bitcoin Feeling the Heat, Squeezing Soft Robots, and Motorizing Ice Skates](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-03-05-ep108-eulogizing-daft-punk-helmets-bitcoin-feeling-the-heat-squeezing-soft-robot) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Ep013: Naked Components, Shocking Power Supplies, Eye-Popping Clock, And The Hackaday Prize](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-04-05-ep013-naked-components-shocking-power-supplies-eye-popping-clock-and-the-hackada) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [033 - All Over the Place](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-04-27-033-all-over-the-place) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-03-04-91-save-us-from-astronauts. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Embedded.fm.