Embedded.fm · 30 Dec 2015 · 1h 01m
Michael Hill, an aerospace engineer and mentor for Innovators Robotics, discusses FIRST Robotics, a program that engages students in building robots for the FIRST STRONGHOLD competition. He details the technical constraints of the RoboRIO control system, the use of Zynq FPGAs, and the strategic decision to build custom components like magnetic encoders from AMS. Hill emphasizes the importance of community outreach, open-source design sharing on Chief Delphi, and how these factors contribute to student development and scholarship opportunities.
early-stage companies
Other shows on the same ground, closest first.
Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gamble discuss the open-source RC controller from Gizmo For You, highlighting its complex injection-molded cases and 8-layer PCB. They review Ken Lumbard's 'Reading Jim Williams' project, which curates and analyzes the application notes of legendary analog engineer Jim Williams. The hosts also cover rumors of a DARPA humanoid robot grand challenge and share experiences using CircuitLab for SPICE simulation.
Editors Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos discuss the winners of the 2022 FPV Vehicle Contest, including JP Glaza's scratch-built ESP32 drone and Perky's 3D FPV rig. They review the Carmelite monks of Wyoming using Prusik CNC rock-cutting machines to build a Gothic monastery, and highlight ZS Watch, an open-source smartwatch by Jacob Krantz. The episode also covers the rise and fall of Hacksmith's Mega Hex robot, the engineering pitfalls of sign-language translation gloves, and the security implications of Punycode in domain names.
University of Minnesota students Ethan Chung, Kevin Vo, and Alexander Wan discuss their line-following robot project for the Bright Manufacturing Challenge, detailing their transition from schematics to manufacturing custom PCBs. They explain their use of Altium Designer to create a main chassis board and a specialized flex-rigid PCB for encoder positioning, highlighting the technical decision to use a secondary microcontroller to comply with competition rules. The team shares lessons learned from their first manufacturing attempt, specifically regarding microcontroller documentation errors and the unexpected high cost of 4-layer flex-rigid boards, while outlining their path toward the final assembly and testing rounds in Chicago.
Bart Dring, founder of BuildLog.net and former Director of Product at Inventables, discusses his journey from designing pinball machines at Williams Electronics to building custom CNC robots and motion control systems. He details the evolution of his open-source laser cutter kits and the Maker Slide linear extrusion, explaining how he managed early Kickstarter success and partnered with Inventables to support products like the X-Carve and Shapeoko. Dring then explains his recent work porting the Gerbil motion planner firmware to the ESP32, enabling low-cost, wireless, standalone controllers for small-scale robots like the NickelBot and Stringbot.
Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss format changes to The Amp Hour, including the potential removal of Workbench of the Week and the introduction of sponsorship. They review low-cost PCB manufacturing from IT'd Studio, noting the $12 fixed-price service for small boards, and discuss the logistics of automated assembly. The conversation also covers the FIRST Robotics competition, Bob Widlar's legacy, and the value of practical engineering education over pure theory.
The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Embedded.fm. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.