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**Adam Stacoviak:** \[laughs\] "I can't read it..." "I know!"
**Rachel Plotnick:** That's the point.
**Adam Stacoviak:** That's the issue.
**Jerod Santo:** You have to buy another one. You might have to buy another copy. Is there anything we didn't talk about on these two subjects now, regarding buttons and cleanliness?
**Rachel Plotnick:** I feel like we covered a ton of stuff. No, I feel good.
**Adam Stacoviak:** So you mentioned a Twitch coming up for your future research... But what about a website? Where can people go to find all the details of your books, and your research, and future research?
**Rachel Plotnick:** Yeah, you can go to rachelplotnick.com, or you can find me at Indiana University. Either place, you'll get to something to do with buttons, liquids... All the things.
**Adam Stacoviak:** All the things. And the Twitch is when again? January what?
**Rachel Plotnick:** January 31st. It's at 2 p.m. Eastern. If you just search for "Rachel Plotnick and energy drinks", it should come up and you can find the registration... It's free, but we'd love to have some people join.
**Adam Stacoviak:** Who should attend that? Who's that made for at this point?
**Rachel Plotnick:** Anybody. Anybody can attend. Yeah, it's meant to be kind of academic light. So I'll be talking about academic things, but meant for a general audience. So if you're interested in energy drinks, come on by.
**Adam Stacoviak:** Very cool.
**Jerod Santo:** Thanks, Rachel.
**Rachel Plotnick:** Thank you so much. This was great.
• Elecia White's podcast Embedded.fm has 492 episodes
• The podcast's name was originally "Making Embedded Systems" but is now commonly referred to as Embedded
• NPR has a podcast called Embedded, which led to a discussion about the two podcasts and their differences
• Elecia White defines Embedded as "writing software for things that aren't computers"
• The discussion also covered the concept of standalone devices that are not tethered to the internet or a network
• Examples of embedded systems were discussed, including microwaves, cars, and electronic toys for kids
• The idea of adding software to non-computer devices was also explored
• Elecia White's experience with hacking and reverse-engineering, specifically with a BB-8 toy
• Autonomous underwater vehicle and sensor deployment in the Monterey Bay
• Development of a gunshot location system
• Volunteer work with children and a kindergarten, including a story about a child's progress with a karaoke toy
• Work on DNA scanners, both pre-1995 and more recently
• Experience with inertial measurement units and sensors in general
• Personal journey into embedded systems, including starting at HP and eventually working at HP Labs
• Discussion of the "aha" moment of discovering the power of software to control physical devices
• Teaching and mentoring in embedded systems, and how to get people to that moment of understanding and experimentation.
• Discussion of simulators such as Wokwi and their benefits, including reduced pain points and increased accessibility.
• Comparison of Arduino and MicroPython, with MicroPython being recommended for its ease of use and future prospects.
• Wokwi as a platform for web-based hardware simulation and programming.
• Adafruit and Sparkfun as resources for hobbyist electronics and their role in making embedded systems more accessible.
• The chasm between beginner-level embedded systems development and professional development for complex projects like autonomous vehicles.
• The challenges and complexities of embedded systems development, including security, over-the-air updates, and optimization.
• Scaling challenges in startup offices
• Data security and access control
• Embedded systems and constrained resources
• Puzzle-solving and optimization in embedded development
• Growing demand for embedded systems professionals
• Paths to becoming an embedded systems expert
• Differences between software and embedded development
• Design patterns and object-oriented programming in embedded systems
• Open source movement and its impact on embedded systems development
• Use of open source operating systems like Zephyr and FreeRTOS
• Kalman filters and inertial measurement units in sensor fusion
• Vendors providing pre-written code and algorithms for sensor processing
• Discussion on the use of cameras vs LiDAR in autonomous vehicles
• Safety critical devices and the importance of thorough documentation and testing
• Concerns about the limitations of current autonomous car technology, including the potential for catastrophic failures when multiple vehicles are affected simultaneously
• Difficulty in replicating the proprioception and driving experience of experienced humans in autonomous vehicles
• Comparison to human driving, including the inevitability of errors and accidents even with skilled drivers
• Discussion of the potential benefits of autonomous vehicles, including reduced accidents and improved safety
• Idea of creating a "closed system" for autonomous vehicles, such as restricted routes or separate lanes
• Possibility of implementing autonomous vehicles on freeways and in trucks, with a smaller and more controlled problem set
• Progress in autonomous vehicle technology, including the development of new safety features and features such as lane keeping and adaptive cruise control
• The idea of dedicated infrastructure for self-driving cars, including guardrails and sensors in roads to monitor and communicate with vehicles.
• The potential for innovation in embeddable systems, such as GoPro and Traeger, which have made significant impacts on their respective industries.
• The idea that inventing and creating new technologies can be accessible to people, not just in software development, but also in hardware and embedded systems.
• Examples of creating custom solutions, such as Elecia White's Python scripts for origami and her Wi-Fi enabled stuffed animals.
• The discussion on the accessibility of embedded system technology and the potential for laypeople to create their own innovative solutions with the right tools and resources.
• Discussion of a pellet smoker's mechanical design, specifically the use of gravity and an auger to feed pellets into the firebox
• Alternative design using a pusher mechanism
• Traeger's design and features, including temperature control and a hopper that uses gravity to feed pellets
• Discussion of the simplicity of Traeger's design and the importance of time and temperature in cooking
• Description of Chibitronics, a company that creates kits for making electronic projects, including music and sensors
• Discussion of Adam Stacoviak's son's project, where he used a Chibitronics kit to modify a birthday card
• Mention of Crunch Labs, a YouTube channel with a creator who used to work at NASA and creates complex electronic projects.
• Crunch Labs and Chibitronics, educational kits for kids
• Importance of making STEM education accessible and fun
• MicroPython, Adafruit, Wokwi, Hackster.io, Instructables.com, and Hackaday.io, resources for sharing and learning from projects
• The future of embedded systems and the Internet of Things (IoT)
• Concerns about the potential risks and downsides of the IoT, including security and data management
• Security and privacy concerns with IoT devices
• Companies and governments spying on users through IoT devices
• UAVs reporting back to their home countries
• The importance of considering security and privacy when using IoT devices
• The downsides of IoT, including over-complicated interfaces and features
• Embedded systems and the need for hardware and software engineers to collaborate
• The authors' experiences with smart appliances and their desire for simplicity
• The risks of IoT devices being hacked and sensitive information being compromised
• Embedded conferences and events
• Embedded Online Conference in May 2025
• Supercon and Teardown conferences for hobbyists
• Open Hardware Summit and other conferences for embedded systems and hacking