# 501: Inside the Armpit of a Giraffe

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2025-05-15
- Length: 1h 20m
- Episode: 501
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-05-15-501-inside-the-armpit-of-a-giraffe
- Listen: https://embedded.fm/episodes/501

## Summary

Dr. Meredith Palmer, a conservation scientist at Yale University, and Akiba, an embedded engineer from FreakLabs.org, discuss the development and deployment of the BoomBox, a custom device that triggers predator sounds via camera traps to study the 'landscape of fear' in African wildlife. They detail the engineering challenges of building rugged, low-power hardware for harsh field conditions, the necessity of cheap and accessible technology for ecologists with limited budgets, and the shift from anecdotal observation to large-scale data collection. The conversation also covers the practicalities of deploying sensor networks in remote areas, the limitations of edge AI due to power constraints, and the importance of citizen science platforms like Snapshot Safari for processing massive volumes of camera trap data.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-05-15-501-inside-the-armpit-of-a-giraffe#t=6) Introduction and Guest Backgrounds
- [3:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-05-15-501-inside-the-armpit-of-a-giraffe#t=204) Lightning Round: Animals and Field Stories
- [12:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-05-15-501-inside-the-armpit-of-a-giraffe#t=757) The BoomBox Device and Predator-Prey Research
- [32:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-05-15-501-inside-the-armpit-of-a-giraffe#t=1925) Engineering the BoomBox: Power, Audio, and Rapid Prototyping
- [37:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-05-15-501-inside-the-armpit-of-a-giraffe#t=2233) Cost Constraints and Accessibility in Conservation Tech
- [39:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-05-15-501-inside-the-armpit-of-a-giraffe#t=2362) Human-Wildlife Conflict and Deterrence Applications
- [43:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-05-15-501-inside-the-armpit-of-a-giraffe#t=2602) Data Sharing, Citizen Science, and Snapshot Safari
- [50:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-05-15-501-inside-the-armpit-of-a-giraffe#t=3020) Camera Trap Technology: Power, Connectivity, and AI
- [1:00:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-05-15-501-inside-the-armpit-of-a-giraffe#t=3620) Bridging the Gap Between Engineers and Ecologists
- [1:11:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-05-15-501-inside-the-armpit-of-a-giraffe#t=4290) Field Debugging and Closing Thoughts

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Maker community & events](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/maker-community)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- BoomBox (product)
- FreakLabs.org (company)
- Yale University (company)
- Snapshot Safari (product)
- Data Dryad (product)
- Lila.science (product)
- WildLabs.net (company)
- Arduino (product)
- Raspberry Pi (product)
- Panthera (company)
- Poacher Cam (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep 123: Radioactive Rhinos, Wile-E-Coyote Jetpack, Radio Hacks 3-Ways, and Battery Welders on the Spot](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-06-18-ep-123-radioactive-rhinos-wile-e-coyote-jetpack-radio-hacks-3-ways-and-battery-w) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Turning Cow Burps into Clean Energy with Griffin Cherry](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-07-02-turning-cow-burps-into-clean-energy-with-griffin-cherry) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Hard Earned Lessons Learned with Wayne Frick of ChirpSounds - Part 1](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-06-11-hard-earned-lessons-learned-with-wayne-frick-of-chirpsounds-part-1) (Predictable Designs Podcast)

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