An interview with Greg and Tim of Backyard Brains - Boethetic Bug Brainwaves

The Amp Hour · 8 May 2015 · 1h 27m · Episode 248

What this episode covers

Greg Gage and Tim Marzullo of Backyard Brains explain how they democratize neural engineering by creating low-cost, educational electronics like the SpikerBox and RoboRoach to record and stimulate biological signals. They detail the analog signal chain used to amplify neuron spikes, the physics of ion-based neural firing, and their work with invertebrates like cockroaches and plants. The conversation covers their transition from academic research to a scalable business model, highlighting the 'Human-Human Interface' and the logistical challenges of sourcing components in Chile.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Hackaday Podcast · 54m

    Ep028: Brain Skepticism Turned Up to 11, Web Browsing in '69, Verilog For 7400 Logic

    Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams discuss the technical realities and hype surrounding Neuralink's brain-computer interface, analyzing the gap between their surgical robot demo and actual neuroscience. They also cover the 40th anniversary of the Sony Walkman, arguing that its success was driven by the design of its headphones rather than the player itself. The episode highlights several hardware hacks, including synthesizing 7400-series logic from Verilog, a subtractive 3D printing process using MDF, and a rotary phone hack that controls web browsers.

  • Embedded.fm · 52m

    36: Drive the Boat with a Wii Mote

    Mark Garrison, co-founder of Saleae, discusses the evolution of his company from a garage-side project to a small business selling the Logic 8 and Logic 16 logic analyzers. He details the challenges of bootstrapping, the importance of distributors like Avnet over Digi-Key for production, and the technical hurdles of FPGA design and manufacturing. Garrison also shares anecdotes about debugging a custom electric sailboat project and the company's plans for new high-end products.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 06m

    491: Oscillators Oscillating Other Oscillators

    Kirk Pearson, founder of Dogbotic, discusses his book "Make: Electronic Music from Scratch" and his virtual workshops that teach beginners to build analog synthesizers and other audio gizmos. He explains how simple oscillator circuits create complex sounds, details the logistics of shipping global kits, and shares his philosophy on demystifying electronics for creative artists. The conversation covers specific projects like the electro-cricket and early drum machine designs, emphasizing intuition over rigorous engineering.

  • EE Times Current · 45m

    Bio-Inspired Networks to Interface with Nervous System

    Dr. Elisa Donati of the Institute of Neuroinformatics in Zurich discusses using neuromorphic circuits to create closed-loop interfaces with the peripheral nervous system for prosthetics and drug delivery. She explains her design of analog mixed-signal chips based on Hodgkin-Huxley models to mimic biological neurons, aiming to bypass digital spike encoding for more natural communication. Professor Ralph Etienne-Cummings of Johns Hopkins University joins to discuss the history of central pattern generators (CPGs) in robotics, the challenges of long-term nerve interface stability, and the complexity of encoding sensory feedback like pain.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 06m

    7: Lights, Camera, Electrons

    Josh Chan and Theron Pondicherry, founders of Light Up, explain their magnetic electronics kit designed to teach elementary and middle school students how circuits work without soldering. They detail the hardware's magnetic connections, the integrated augmented reality smartphone app that visualizes electron flow and debugs errors, and the inclusion of an Arduino-compatible microcontroller block. The founders discuss their journey through the HAXLR8R accelerator in Shenzhen, their successful Kickstarter campaign which exceeded its $50,000 goal, and their strategy for scaling production and distribution.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Amp Hour. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.