# Ep 329: AI Surgery, a Prison Camp Lathe, and a One Hertz Four-Fer

- Show: [Hackaday Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast)
- Published: 2025-07-18
- Length: 1h 12m
- Episode: 329
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-07-18-ep-329-ai-surgery-a-prison-camp-lathe-and-a-one-hertz-four-fer
- Listen: https://hackaday.com/2025/07/18/hackaday-podcast-episode-329-ai-surgery-a-prison-camp-lathe-and-a-one-hertz-four-fer/

## Summary

Hackaday editors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi discuss a range of hardware hacks, including an AI-driven surgical robot from Johns Hopkins University that performs ex vivo pig bladder surgery, and budget robotic dog actuators inspired by MIT's Mini Cheetah. They also cover the restoration of a FAA-certified flight simulator, the history of the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD format war, and a clandestine machine shop built by POWs in WWII. The episode concludes with an update on the struggling Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft and entries from the One Hertz Challenge.

## Chapters

- [0:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-07-18-ep-329-ai-surgery-a-prison-camp-lathe-and-a-one-hertz-four-fer#t=2) Introduction and Supercon Update
- [1:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-07-18-ep-329-ai-surgery-a-prison-camp-lathe-and-a-one-hertz-four-fer#t=82) Wendelstein 7X Fusion Record
- [5:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-07-18-ep-329-ai-surgery-a-prison-camp-lathe-and-a-one-hertz-four-fer#t=340) AI Surgical Robot from Johns Hopkins
- [12:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-07-18-ep-329-ai-surgery-a-prison-camp-lathe-and-a-one-hertz-four-fer#t=771) HP's Planned Obsolescence Concerns
- [19:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-07-18-ep-329-ai-surgery-a-prison-camp-lathe-and-a-one-hertz-four-fer#t=1190) Budget Robotic Dog Actuators and Capstan Drives
- [28:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-07-18-ep-329-ai-surgery-a-prison-camp-lathe-and-a-one-hertz-four-fer#t=1737) Flight Simulator Restoration Project
- [35:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-07-18-ep-329-ai-surgery-a-prison-camp-lathe-and-a-one-hertz-four-fer#t=2137) One Hertz Challenge Entries
- [40:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-07-18-ep-329-ai-surgery-a-prison-camp-lathe-and-a-one-hertz-four-fer#t=2424) ESP32 Offline Media Server
- [47:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-07-18-ep-329-ai-surgery-a-prison-camp-lathe-and-a-one-hertz-four-fer#t=2824) Quick Hacks: Filament, Lightning Detectors, and More
- [56:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-07-18-ep-329-ai-surgery-a-prison-camp-lathe-and-a-one-hertz-four-fer#t=3375) WWII POW Lathe and Lunar Trailblazer Update

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Wendelstein 7X (other)
- Johns Hopkins University (company)
- da Vinci surgical robots (product)
- HP (company)
- MIT Mini Cheetah (product)
- ODrive (product)
- MKS X Drive Mini (product)
- ESP32 (chip)
- Raspberry Pi (product)
- Lunar Trailblazer (product)
- NASA (company)
- Artemis (product)
- PlayStation 3 (product)
- Blu-ray (product)
- HD DVD (product)
- Sony (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [205. 2024 Recap & 2nd Annual Saucies!🥫🍾](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2025-01-07-205-2024-recap-2nd-annual-saucies) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [156. 2023 Recap & First Annual Saucies!🥫🍾](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-01-09-156-2023-recap-first-annual-saucies) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Episode 162: The robot doctor will see you now - Robot Talk Live](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-06-26-episode-162-the-robot-doctor-will-see-you-now-robot-talk-live) (Robot Talk)
- [62. AI Powered Devices For Saving Lives & Studying Oceans](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-03-22-62-ai-powered-devices-for-saving-lives-studying-oceans) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Episode Thirty-Three: Dan Stoyanov](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2023-01-20-episode-thirty-three-dan-stoyanov) (Robot Talk)

## Citing this page

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