Amelia's Weekly Fish Fry

From High‑Mix Production to Humanoids: Robotiq’s Push for Accessible Automation

Are you ready for some robots?! We're not talking about just any robots; this week we're focusing on the quiet revolution of grippers, sensors, and collaborative automation taking place on our factory floors. My guest is Jen Kwiatkowski from Robotiq! Jen and I dive deep into the world of collaborative robotics. We explore the future of human-robot interaction in manufacturing, how Robotiq is solving key industry challenges, and the crucial role that accessibility and ease-of-use play in driving the adoption of automation.

The Flight Path Forward: Aviation Expert Vance Hilderman Discusses the Future of eVTOLs

This week’s podcast is all about one of my all-time favorite topics: VTOLs! My guest is aviation expert and CEO of AFuzion Vance Hinderman. Vance and I chat about AFuzion’s role in the aviation industry, Atea’s plans to launch an eVTOL aircraft in 2026, and where Vance thinks the eVTOL industry is headed in the future.

To the Sky and Beyond: Interface Concept’s Mission-Critical Solutions and Robots for Lunar Exploration

What have I got cooked up for you for this week’s Fish Fry podcast? First, my guest is Pierre Ansquer from Interface Concept and we are talking about 3U VPX, SBCs, packaged ethernet switches, and a whole lot more! Also this week, I investigate new mineral collecting robots developed by ETH Zurich and why these legged robots could be a game changer for space future travel.

New Avenues of IoT Exploration: TDK’s SmartRobotics™, SmartMotion® and SmartSound™ Solutions

IoT takes center stage in this week’s Fish Fry podcast! Peter Hartwell (TDK) and I chat all about TDK’s new ultrasonic vision platform called SmartSonic, the details of their MEMS-based robotics platform called SmartRobotics, the challenges that their SmartMotion UHP sensor family is looking to solve, and what their scalable digital microphones called SmartSound are all about! Also this week, I check out a new inexpensive, biodegradable 3D printed sensor that changes color when it is heated or stretched.

Flying to the Future: 100G VPX and the Alef Model A

In this week’s Fish Fry podcast, my guest is Ivan Straznicky from Curtiss-Wright. Ivan and I chat all about 100G VPX, the challenges of a VPX transmission channel and what VPX Gen 6 and 7 will look like! Also this week, I investigate the Alef's Model A Flying car and why this new eVTOL could be the first flying car to make it into commercial airspace.

Intelligent Modularity and a Holistic Approach for Rugged System Development

What do intelligent modularity, parametric design for reuse and reconfiguration in rugged system development, and robots inspired by jellyfish have in common? This week’s Fish Fry podcast! Bill Pilaud (LCR Embedded Systems) and I discuss how intelligent modularity can make chassis design more efficient, how parametric design can enable reuse and reconfiguration in rugged system development, and how these approaches reflect a holistic approach for military and aerospace design. Also this week, I check out a new robotic jellyfish developed by a team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute For Intelligent Systems that can clean up ocean debris without any contact. 

 

High Tech Heavyweights: EDA Legend Giovanni De Micheli

The man, the myth, the legend Giovanni De Micheli (Nanni) joins me this week! Recently honored with the 2022 Phil Kaufman Award for Distinguished Contributions to Electronic System Design, Nanni has been a powerhouse in the world of EDA for a very long time. His work has expanded the fields of Network-on-Chip (NoC), high-level synthesis, and logic synthesis. In this episode, Nanni and I talk through what excites him about EDA today, what he thinks the next big innovation in EDA will be, and what he considers to be his greatest accomplishment so far. Also this week, I investigate new biosensor technology developed at the University of Technology Sydney that will allow you to operate devices using only thought control.

The Soft Robot Revolution: imec Develops Robotic Systems That Can Self Heal and Feel Pain

Did you know imec and VUB have teamed up to develop soft robotic systems that can feel pain and self-heal? Bram Vanderborght (imec) joins me this week to chat all about it! We investigate the challenges inherent to soft robotics, how an integrated approach and several breakthrough innovations made these robotic systems possible, and where Bram thinks soft robotics are headed in the future. 

Software Defined Everything: Servitization, Sustainability and the Future of Smart Things

This week’s podcast features my discussion with Semir Haddad from MicoEJ. Semir and I discuss the biggest influences in embedded system development today, the roles servitization, containerization, and sustainability will play for future embedded system development, and how MicroEJ is furthering innovation in the world of smart things! Also this week, I investigate a new graphene-based e-tattoo that can determine your stress levels developed by a team of researchers at Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin.

A Billion Instances and Counting - Solving the Challenges of IC Design Closure

Integrated circuits once again take center stage in this week’s Fish Fry podcast! Brandon Bautz (Cadence Design Systems) and I chat about the challenges of IC design closure today, how distribution and optimization can help address these growing design challenges, and the details of Cadence’s Certus Closure Solution. Also this week I investigate a new soft robot developed by Cornell University that can detect damage and heal itself!