Amelia's Weekly Fish Fry

The Next Big Thing! Ferroelectric Nonvolatile Memory and Tiny Aquatic Robots Inspired by Sea Creatures

We’ve got a virtual grab bag of EE goodness in this week’s Fish Fry podcast! First up, we take a closer look at some very unique robots unveiled by a recent research study at Northwestern University. We take a closer look at how these tiny robots (which are powered by light and rotating magnetic fields) are able to walk, roll, and transport cargo. Next, Stefan Müller (CTO and Founder - FMC) joins us to discuss the details of ferroelectric nonvolatile memory and what sets it apart from other memory solutions today. Finally, we check out what needs to be done in order for artificial intelligence or machine learning to get into mainstream edge devices.

 

It’s All About Confidence: System on Chip Verification and Building Trust into Neural Networks

How do we know that what our neural networks are telling us should be trusted? Can we build confidence into our neural networks so they can answer that for us? According to a new study out of MIT and Harvard, we can and it won’t break the computational bank! In this week’s Fish Fry podcast, we first check out a new way for deep learning neural networks to quickly estimate confidence levels in their output. Keeping with our verification theme, Moshik Rubin (Cadence Design Systems) also joins us to discuss the challenges of SoC verification, the increasing need for system level solutions today, and where he thinks chip level verification is headed in the future. 

 

Keeping the Quarantine Blues at Bay One Design at a Time Micro:bit v. 2 and The Retrofit and Recycle Challenge

You know...for kids. - Norville Barnes (The Hudsucker Proxy)

This week’s Fish Fry podcast is dedicated to being indoors and fighting off quarantine boredom for kids and adults alike!   Phil Hutchinson (element14) joins us to discuss the BBC micro:bit v2. Phil and I discuss the evolution of the micro:bit, how this new version differs from the previous version, and how the element14 community supports this unique learning platform. Also this week, we check out element14’s Recycle & Retrofit Challenge that might just help you keep the quarantine blues at bay while reducing electronics waste and upcycling vintage electronics. Finally, we check out a powerful new kickstarter campaign called the Solar Cow -  the World's first social project delivering real individual data of impact.

AI for Everything!

Artificial intelligence and machine learning take center stage in this week’s Fish Fry podcast. First, we take a closer look at how a new algorithm called ART (Automated Recommendation Tool) is ushering in a new age of enlightenment in the world of synthetic biology. We investigate how this revolutionary new algorithm was tested and what it means for the future of bioengineered cells. Aaron Tersteeg (Intel) also joins us this week to discuss Intel’s OpenVINO tool kit. Aaron and I chat about the biggest AI inferencing challenges facing us today, the details of the OpenVINO “write once, deploy anywhere” approach, and what you should keep in mind when starting a new AI project.

Henny Youngman and The Law of Unintended Consequences: Fish Fry Welcomes Eric Bogatin

 

"If there is a fire you are trying to douse, you can’t put it out from inside the house" - Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton 

 

The man, the myth, the signal integrity legend Eric Bogatin joins Fish Fry this week! We discuss the propagation of misconceptions in our design lives, the law of unintended consequences and what the Henny Youngman principle is all about. Also this week, we take a closer look at the 250MWh CRYOBattery Long Duration Energy Storage Facility and the details behind this super cool new energy storage facility. 

What is the Meaning of Test?

“Testing leads to failure, and failure leads to understanding.”
- Burt Rutan 

In this week’s podcast, we’re talking about testing, testing, and even more testing! We start things off with an investigation into a new microneedle patch developed at Rice University that is hoping to make testing for malaria easier and faster than ever before. Also this week, Geir Eide (Mentor) joins me to discuss the past, present, and future of IC testing. Geir and I discuss why the days of Pass/Fail testing are long gone, why test equipment has evolved into machine learning and data collection equipment, and the details of Mentor’s new Tessent Streaming Scan Network.

Nobody Wants A Failed Prototype - System-Level Simulation with Clarity 3D Transient Solver

In today’s ever-changing electronic engineering ecosystem, system modeling is more important than ever before. In this week’s podcast, Brad Griffin (Cadence Design Systems) joins us to discuss the limitations of system-level modeling today, how system analysis challenges are driving new levels of performance, and how Clarity 3D Transient Solver addresses critical system-level EMI challenges. Also this week, we take a look at the PufferBot - a new Pufferfish-inspired robot developed at the University of Colorado Boulder that aims to improve drone safety. 

 

Return of VPX - Standards, Trends and Supply Chain Security

In this week’s podcast, we have a virtual grab bag of electronic engineering goodness. We start things off with a story about the unique exploration of the Bennu asteroid. We take a closer look at how  NASA’S OSIRIS-REx mission successfully mapped out Bennu's gravity field and how this information has provided vital clues about the formation of asteroids. Also this week, Rob Persons (Smart Embedded Computing) joins us to discuss supply chain security and Xavier Marchand (Interface Concept) and I chat about the trends trends encouraging change in the VPX backplane technology.

Terrible Things to Scare the Children: #adifferenthalloween with element14 and Black Hole Fuel

It’s creepy! It’s crawly! It’s a design contest too! In this week’s Fish Fry podcast, Phil Hutchinson (element14) brings us the goods on this year’s spookily spectacular element14 Halloween design competition. Phil and I chat about some of last year’s creepy creations, why this year’s contest is slightly different than the year before, and how you can enter this unique Halloween design competition. Also this week, I check out how a group of astronomers discovered the oldest known black hole and why this discovery may help unlock the mysteries of the evolution of black holes. 

 

Radar to the Rescue: How Ainstein is Improving Our Safety through mmWave IoT Sensing

In this week’s Fish Fry podcast, we start things off with a very special News You May Have Missed. In this segment, we take a closer look at how a team of researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine (in collaboration with IBM) have identified a “lonely” speech pattern using machine-learning models that can be used to detect loneliness in older adults.  We investigate how machine learning can help us unlock the mysteries of natural speech patterns and why this type of research may help us better understand a variety of psychological ailments. Also this week, Andrew Boushie (VP of Strategy & Partnerships - Ainstein) joins us to discuss the future of mm wave radar technology and the super cool stuff under the hood of their new over-the-door sensor called WAYV Air.