When I started researching for this month’s Tech Feature article I anticipated that I would come across some interesting and innovative products, but never in a million years would have I expected it to involve concrete. Yes, you read that right. That mixture of water, aggregate, and cement that we see everywhere has entered the world of Smart Tech. Not merely an advancement in material but a paradigm shift. This isn’t simply about adding sensors to existing structures; it’s about imbuing concrete with the ability to self-monitor, self-diagnose, and even self-heal. This convergence compels a re-evaluation of structural design, predictive maintenance, and challenges assumptions (at least mine) about the role of smart tech.
Concrete is by no means the end of the innovations brought to you in this issue. We start by staying connected when off-grid with FloraNet, an alternative communication network designed by Aaron Huinink, Tella Osler, and Cameron Gillingham. This system uses LoRa radio, powered by battery and solar, requiring no Internet or cellular service. Users can message or contact emergency services without needing a Wi-Fi connection, account, app, or extra hardware.
Moving from remote communication to smarter local environments, we explore a Smart Home Gateway with Raul Alvarez-Torrico. This article details a prototype that interfaces with local sensors and actuators while also connecting to remote nodes via Wi-Fi, hosting a web-based user interface.
From controlling environments, we shift to controlling sound with Robert Haig and Henry Geller’s project that adds harmony to a single instrument. The Trumpet Harmonizer, is a pitch shifter allowing musicians to harmonize with themselves in real time. A capacitive touch slider attached to the trumpet lets the musician dynamically control the pitch-shifted interval, via a Raspberry Pi 4, with an Arduino Uno.
Developing systems such as these, especially portable ones, highlights the importance of power management. Matthew Oppenheim demonstrates the value of a Power Profiler, allowing for significant improvement in the battery life of wearable assistive technology.
Scaling up to industrial applications, this month’s datasheet showcases devices central to modern factories. These industrial computers drive automation, efficiency, and innovation, enabling real-time control, data analysis, Human-Machine Interfaces, and communication across networks.
However, sophisticated scientific measurement isn’t just for factories; Brian Millier tells us how to build a low-cost Differential Scanning Calorimeter. This instrument measures enthalpy changes in materials during temperature scans. Using an ESP32 microcontroller and a 24-bit ADC for control and measurement, with a PI algorithm for precise temperature ramping. A key innovation is the use of an Android cellphone with the GUI-O app as the user interface for plotting data and controlling scan parameters.
Finally, we touch upon education with Colin O’Flynn’s Roboheist Challenge. This article describes a university course where students modified autonomous robots to complete a “heist,” learning embedded security concepts and design principles. Students tackled challenges such as bypassing break-beam sensors and cloning RFID cards, gaining practical hardware hacking experience. The course also reinforced a valuable lesson that the most reliable and simple solution is often the best approach.
To wrap things, up Jim Beneke gives us a look at the future of Edge AI and multicore technology. Multicore technology, already well established in the embedded sector, will be crucial in bringing AI to the edge.
The notion that we’ve “seen it all” is crumbling faster than a poorly mixed batch of concrete.
Issue Table of Contents can be found here,
as articles are made available online they will be linked.
PUBLISHED IN CIRCUIT CELLAR MAGAZINE • July #420 – Get a PDF of the issue
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