# An Interview with Timothy Lamb

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2016-03-25
- Length: 1h 05m
- Episode: 292
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/292-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb/

## Summary

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.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=0) Introduction: The Amp Hour and Timothy Lamb
- [1:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=60) Introduction: Chris Gammell and Spectral Motion
- [2:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=125) The Brutal Nature of Special Effects Work
- [5:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=330) Sourcing Parts and Budget Constraints
- [8:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=496) Panelized PCBs and Managerial Blowback
- [11:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=663) Animatronics and Hellboy Projects
- [14:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=873) Visual Programming with Max MSP
- [17:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=1065) Bidding, Budgets, and Contractor Economics
- [25:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=1506) Robot Combat League and Hydraulic Failures
- [35:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=2106) Microcontrollers: Teensy and SparkFun
- [39:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=2367) Ruggedization: Potting and Flat Flex Cables
- [45:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=2726) Top-Down Engineering and Off-the-Shelf Solutions
- [50:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=3046) Chiptune Music and Arduino Projects
- [58:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-03-25-an-interview-with-timothy-lamb#t=3515) Projection Mapping and Future Projects

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Spectral Motion (company)
- Hellboy (product)
- Max MSP (tool)
- Teensy (chip)
- SparkFun (company)
- Adafruit (company)
- Kinect (product)
- Arduino (product)
- Game Boy (product)
- SID chip (chip)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [The Spark Gap - Episode 23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2014-12-10-the-spark-gap-episode-23) (The Spark Gap)
- [257: Small Parts Flew Everywhere](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-08-24-257-small-parts-flew-everywhere) (Embedded.fm)
- [499: This Is Your Problem](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-04-17-499-this-is-your-problem) (Embedded.fm)
- [181: Work on It for Ten Years](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-12-30-181-work-on-it-for-ten-years) (Embedded.fm)
- [3: Plenty of Candy, No Guns](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2013-05-29-3-plenty-of-candy-no-guns) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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