Embedded.fm · 28 Nov 2019 · 55m · Episode 204
Phoenix Perry, CTO of DoItKits and founder of Code Liberation, discusses the design and engineering of physical, non-screen-based games like 'Thrum' and 'Bot Party.' She explains the challenges of building robust hardware for intense public use, detailing the use of Precision Micro Drives actuators, Velistat pressure sensors, and machine learning on microcontrollers like the Teensy. Perry also highlights her work with DoItKits to create curriculum-aligned STEM kits and her efforts to diversify the game industry through Code Liberation.
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Hosts Christina and Dan review a diverse set of hardware hacks, including James Warner’s reverse-engineered IoT air purifier using an ESP32, Brick Studios’ mechanical Lego coin sorter, and Flurpee Flurples’ Altoids tin keyboard. They also discuss Daniel Simu’s repurposed car wiper motors for robotics, Sasha’s narrow PCB LED cube, and various quick hacks like 3D printed joinery and WWII self-soldering sleeves.
Managing Editor Tom Nardi hosts a special edition of the Hackaday Podcast from EMF Camp, featuring interviews with makers including Look Mum No Computer, who discusses his modular synth museum and church organ projects, and Alex Nicks, who demonstrates a motorized slide whistle organ. The episode also covers Noel Sector's interactive robots controlled via pose estimation and Matthew Harold's copper telephone network using Cisco hardware and a CT2 base station. Back at the studio, contributors Al Williams and Ryan Flowers review recent stories, including 3D printed mechanisms, open-source FPGA toolchains, and a Raspberry Pi Pico PlayStation memory card adapter.
Hosts Elliot Williams and Al Williams discuss a range of hardware hacks, including Sprite TM's vapor deck, a handheld 486 PC built from scratch, and Paul Cosila's mechanical TV using 1920s parts. They also cover Tony Gocher's custom motor controller for a tracked trike, Thirty Mambo's YouTube-playing Game Boy cartridge, and Bub's Builds' 2-micron linear displacement sensor. The episode concludes with reflections on the 'teen years' of 3D printing, citing Solidoodle, PrinterBot, and MakerBot, and an explanation of aircraft airspeed sensors.
Elliot Williams and Jenny List discuss a DIY datasette by Bitlooney that uses a microcassette mechanism and custom DSP to interface with a Commodore 64, and an over-engineered egg cracking machine by Stuff Made Here that uses silicone cups and pneumatic release. They also review a polished lightning talk timer with a gravity-actuated bell and a generative art project by Nicholas Roy using line-following plotter bots. The episode concludes with a Field Guide on pivot irrigation and a discussion on using self-tapping screws for 3D printed assemblies.
Chris Gammell, an embedded developer and electrical engineer at Spectral Motion, discusses the unique challenges of creating practical special effects for films and theme parks, such as the Hellboy movies and Disneyland parades. He explains how tight deadlines and budget constraints force a reliance on off-the-shelf components like Teensy microcontrollers and SparkFun breakouts rather than custom manufacturing. Gammell details specific failures, including hydraulic actuators shearing off during Robot Combat League and the fragility of flat flex cables, while highlighting his use of visual programming tools like Max MSP and Kinect sensors for animatronics.
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