The Amp Hour Electronics Podcast #663 – Motors on PCBs with Carl Bugeja
Mar 26, 2024
Joining the podcast is Carl Bugeja, founder of Microbots, delving into PCB motors, soldering circuits, Flex PCB temperatures, driving circuits, and manufacturing challenges. The discussion covers actuation on a PCB, robotics projects, driver evaluations, Boston Dynamics references, remote electronics businesses, and the intricacies of PCB design and manufacturing processes. Exploring the balance between aesthetics and functionality, user testing, and the future of robotics applications.
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From Student Experiments To Products
- Carl Bugeja started experimenting with PCB motors and actuators after graduating as an electronics engineer.
- Five years of tinkering turned those experiments into products and kits he now plans to sell.
Test For Product Reliability First
- When moving from videos to products, perform extensive durability and failure testing before shipping.
- Treat productization as a different discipline from making demonstration videos and solve repeatability issues first.
Scale By Multiplying PCB Cells
- Microbots aims to scale cheaply by leveraging PCB manufacturing economics rather than bespoke components.
- Multiplying identical PCB actuators keeps board cost stable while only component cost rises marginally.
