Ep 221: The Future of the Raspberry Pi, Sniffing a Toothbrush, Your Tactical Tool Threshold
Jun 2, 2023
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Editors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi discuss the 2023 Hackaday Prize and the future of single-board computers. They explore toothbrush NFC hacking, electric farm equipment, and a satellite that sniffs out methane. The hosts also speculate the origin of a mysterious sound and cover innovative projects like blink-detecting microcontrollers.
The future of the Raspberry Pi is uncertain due to competition from cheaper mini computers and increasing RAM demands.
A DIY rain gauge project utilizing a 3D printed design with an ESP32 and hall effect sensor offers an affordable alternative to commercial rain gauge modules.
Hacking a Philips Sonic Air toothbrush demonstrates the potential for future toothbrushes to prevent usage of old heads through similar techniques.
Deep dives
Future of the Raspberry Pi
The podcast discusses the future of the Raspberry Pi, focusing on the challenges it faces, such as increasing RAM demands and competition from cheaper mini computers. The Raspberry Pi Foundation's initial goal was to provide an affordable computer for education, and while it has gained popularity in the maker community, the rise of more powerful and inexpensive mini PCs may impact its market position.
DIY Rain Gauge
The podcast features a DIY rain gauge project that utilizes a tipping bucket design. The rain gauge is 3D printed and equipped with an ESP32 and a hall effect sensor to accurately measure rainfall. The design includes provisions for calibration and can be an affordable alternative to commercial rain gauge modules.
Chernobyl Disaster CCTV Cameras
A video from Chernobyl Family explores the CCTV cameras used to record the Chernobyl disaster and its aftermath. These cameras played a crucial role in providing visual documentation of high radiation areas where humans couldn't go. Opening up the cameras reveals their intricate and beautiful construction, showcasing the craftsmanship used to create radiation-hardened equipment.
Toothbrush Hacking: A Case of Hacking for the Sake of Hacking
The podcast episode discusses the interesting case of hacking a Philips Sonic Air toothbrush. The toothbrush includes an NFC chip that tracks usage and alerts users when it's time to replace the brush head. Although the toothbrush does not prevent usage once the head reaches its limit, a hacker was able to reverse engineer the NFC chip, read its data, and reset the counter to stop the brush from nagging. While the hack was not necessary, it demonstrated the potential for future toothbrushes to prevent usage of old heads through similar techniques.
Electric Tractors and Farming Robots: The Future of Agriculture
The podcast touches on the emergence of electric tractors and autonomous farming machines. It highlights companies producing small electric tractors that are rechargeable and cost-effective for small-scale farming needs. These tractors offer environmental benefits, lower maintenance costs, and provide a feasible alternative to diesel-powered equipment. Additionally, the podcast mentions the development of various autonomous farming robots that can perform tasks like crop inspection and monitoring. This move towards electric and autonomous farming machinery presents exciting opportunities for increased efficiency and innovation in the agricultural industry.
ditors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi are back in the (virtual) podcast studio to talk the latest phase of the 2023 Hackaday Prize, the past, present, and future of single-board computers, and a modern reincarnation of the Blackberry designed by hardware hackers. They'll also cover the current state of toothbrush NFC hacking, the possibilities of electric farm equipment, and a privately funded satellite designed to sniff out methane. Stick around till the end to find out if there really is such a thing as having too many tools.
