# Ep 355: Person Detectors, Walkie Talkies, Open Smartphones, and a WiFi Traffic Light

- Show: [Hackaday Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast)
- Published: 2026-01-30
- Length: 54m
- Episode: 355
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-01-30-ep-355-person-detectors-walkie-talkies-open-smartphones-and-a-wifi-traffic-light
- Listen: https://hackaday.com/2026/01/30/hackaday-podcast-episode-355-person-detectors-walkie-talkies-open-smartphones-and-a-wifi-traffic-light/

## Summary

Jenny List and Elliot Williams discuss the 100th anniversary of John Logie Baird's first television demonstration, highlighting the historical context of mechanical scanning. They review several hacks, including Francesco Pace's ESP32-based person detector using WiFi channel state information, V3 Electronics' open-source 'Spirit' smartphone, and Core BB's ESP32-based walkie-talkies for cyclists. The episode also covers Denny's plaster casting smoothing technique, RootKit's WiFi spectrum light sculpture, and Agony's tensegrity bicycle wheel.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-01-30-ep-355-person-detectors-walkie-talkies-open-smartphones-and-a-wifi-traffic-light#t=1) Introduction and 100th Anniversary of Television
- [5:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-01-30-ep-355-person-detectors-walkie-talkies-open-smartphones-and-a-wifi-traffic-light#t=316) What's That Sound Segment
- [6:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-01-30-ep-355-person-detectors-walkie-talkies-open-smartphones-and-a-wifi-traffic-light#t=396) ESP32 Person Detector and WiFi Traffic Light
- [13:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-01-30-ep-355-person-detectors-walkie-talkies-open-smartphones-and-a-wifi-traffic-light#t=796) Open Source Smartphone and Walkie-Talkies
- [24:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-01-30-ep-355-person-detectors-walkie-talkies-open-smartphones-and-a-wifi-traffic-light#t=1454) Plaster Casting and Light Sculpture
- [29:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-01-30-ep-355-person-detectors-walkie-talkies-open-smartphones-and-a-wifi-traffic-light#t=1783) Tensegrity Bicycle Wheel and Quick Hacks
- [43:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-01-30-ep-355-person-detectors-walkie-talkies-open-smartphones-and-a-wifi-traffic-light#t=2625) Document Preservation and Internet History

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- ESP32 (chip)
- John Logie Baird (other)
- Philo Farnsworth (other)
- Francesco Pace (other)
- V3 Electronics (company)
- Core BB (other)
- Denny (other)
- RootKit (other)
- Agony (other)
- JWZ Labs (other)
- Matt (other)
- Ed (other)
- Vicon (other)
- Mad Avid. Coda (other)
- Rasmus Moratz (other)
- Ika (company)
- Tom Nardi (other)
- Lewin Day (other)
- Netscape (product)
- Mozilla Firefox (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Electromaker of the Month Winners, Maker Music Festival, and more!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-electromaker-show/2022-03-10-electromaker-of-the-month-winners-maker-music-festival-and-more) (The Electromaker Show)
- [54: Oh! The Hugh Manatee](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-06-05-54-oh-the-hugh-manatee) (Embedded.fm)
- [Giant Lego 3D Printing, Self Soldering PCBs, new ESP32 C6 modules, and more!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-electromaker-show/2023-01-26-giant-lego-3d-printing-self-soldering-pcbs-new-esp32-c6-modules-and-more) (The Electromaker Show)
- [Multicopter, DIY drones & Tektronix - Zappy Zendik Zoilism](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-08-30-multicopter-diy-drones-tektronix-zappy-zendik-zoilism) (The Amp Hour)
- [Productive Pi Hacks, Amazing Arduino Inventions, New Hardware Galore!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-electromaker-show/2023-07-27-productive-pi-hacks-amazing-arduino-inventions-new-hardware-galore) (The Electromaker Show)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-01-30-ep-355-person-detectors-walkie-talkies-open-smartphones-and-a-wifi-traffic-light. 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 Hackaday Podcast.