# 284: Honking Big Asparagus

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2019-04-04
- Length: 1h 12m
- Episode: 284
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-04-04-284-honking-big-asparagus
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/284-honking-big-asparagus

## Summary

Ori Bernstein, a software engineer at Level Hot Pantry, explains the physics of smart microwaves, focusing on how his company uses an array of 24 stepper-motor-driven antennas to steer microwave energy and cook food evenly. He details the challenges of dealing with standing waves, the dielectric properties of different foods, and the use of RGB cameras and machine learning to identify food items. Bernstein also discusses the company's B2B business model of providing catered meals to startups, the difficulty of cooking eggs due to pasteurization variations, and his personal projects like the Mythin programming language and contributions to OpenBSD and Plan 9.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-04-04-284-honking-big-asparagus#t=6) Introduction and Background
- [3:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-04-04-284-honking-big-asparagus#t=197) Smart Microwave Technology and Antenna Arrays
- [5:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-04-04-284-honking-big-asparagus#t=300) Physics of Microwaves and Standing Waves
- [15:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-04-04-284-honking-big-asparagus#t=959) Food Engineering and Dielectric Constants
- [16:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-04-04-284-honking-big-asparagus#t=970) Business Model: Level Hot Pantry
- [32:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-04-04-284-honking-big-asparagus#t=1933) Cooking Challenges: Eggs and Black Beans
- [28:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-04-04-284-honking-big-asparagus#t=1716) Machine Learning and Computer Vision
- [57:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-04-04-284-honking-big-asparagus#t=3457) Personal Projects: Mythin, OpenBSD, and Plan 9

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Markov (company)
- Facebook (company)
- Google (company)
- OpenBSD (other)
- Plan 9 (other)
- Mythin (other)
- ConWest (other)
- Hackaday (other)
- NRA (other)
- Costco (company)
- gRPC (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep 346: Melting Metal in the Microwave, Unlocking Car Brakes and Washing Machines, and a Series of Tubes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-11-21-ep-346-melting-metal-in-the-microwave-unlocking-car-brakes-and-washing-machines) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [The inside scoop on food manufacturing with Chef Robotics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-05-31-the-inside-scoop-on-food-manufacturing-with-chef-robotics) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [Sustainable Kitchens: Smart Induction Stoves for Fighting Climate Change with Sam D’Amico](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-11-07-sustainable-kitchens-smart-induction-stoves-for-fighting-climate-change-with-sam) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [HIBT Lab! Wonder: Marc Lore](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-09-22-hibt-lab-wonder-marc-lore) (How I Built This)
- [208: Why High-Mix Manufacturing Is a Sweet Spot for Flexible Automation and AI with Rajat Bhageria, Founder & CEO of Chef Robotics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-10-22-208-why-high-mix-manufacturing-is-a-sweet-spot-for-flexible-automation-and-ai-wi) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)

## 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/2019-04-04-284-honking-big-asparagus. 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.