Amelia's Weekly Fish Fry

This week we're talking all about the future of embedded software development with TASKING Co-CEO Christoph Herzog. Christoph and I explore how Large Language Models and agentic AI are moving from novelty to necessity, directing external agents within the TASKING toolchain to automate critical verification and validation tasks. We also discuss the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and how it helps maintain adherence to strict industry standards. 

In this week's podcast, we're diving deep into the world of RF system design! My guest is Giorgia Zucchelli from MathWorks. Giorgia and I explore what an RF digital twin is, how it revolutionizes the design and validation workflow, and how AI is playing a critical role in its development. 

This week, we’re diving into the hidden challenges of AI infrastructure with David Driggers, CEO of Cirrascale. David and I chat about the surprising failure points that traditional data center planning often misses when it comes to large-scale AI deployments, why old assumptions about power, cooling, and networking simply don’t hold up anymore and why the “just add GPUs” strategy can be a recipe for disaster without a true systems-thinking approach. Also this week, I check out a massive breakthrough where physicists are using AI to uncover entirely new laws of nature!

Today, we're diving deep into the future of connectivity, networking, and computing with a look at a revolutionary concept: the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network, or IOWN. My podcast guest is Marco Provolo, Head of IOWN and NTT R&D Global Promotion Office. Marco and I discuss what IOWN is, why the shift from silicon to photonics is so crucial, how NTT is working with international partners to accelerate its adoption, and the most exciting applications we can expect to see in the near future.

In this week’s podcast, we're stepping onto the frontier of battery innovation! My guest is Volexion CEO Joe Adiletta. Joe and I discuss why some battery materials perform great in a lab but fail in real world production, what “designing backward from the factory” means in terms of battery design and the role that manufacturing plays when it comes to the scaling of these kinds of advanced materials. Also this week, I check out a revolutionary memristor that can function at temperatures at 700 degrees Celsius. 

This week, I'm excited to welcome Sandra Rivera from VSORA! We dive into a discussion on why AI inference is essential for deployment at scale, specifically focusing on how VSORA’s patented software architecture addresses the "memory wall" by collapsing memory layers. We explore their recent tape-out, which promises approximately 3X the performance at half the power of leading GPUs. We also chat about deployment use cases, the need for low latency and high determinism, future plans for OEM modules and MLPerf benchmarking, and even get a brief look into Sandra’s family llama farm.

In this week’s Fish Fry, I’m excited to welcome back Rob Knoth from Cadence Design Systems! Rob and I dive into a major shift in electronic design automation: the direct integration of artificial intelligence into the design workflow. Rob and I discuss the details of Cadence’s newest innovation - the ChipStack AI Super Agent and Cadence’s overarching strategies of 'design for AI' and 'AI for design. We also explore the core challenges currently facing verification engineers, and examine how the ChipStack AI Super Agent is set to bring predictability and acceleration to your next design process.

My podcast guest this week is Ferric CEO Noah Sturcken. Noah and I discuss how Ferric's innovations—specifically their ferromagnetic materials and on-chip power converters—are addressing the critical power, efficiency, and integration hurdles facing today's AI processors. We also explore how IVRs enable higher instantaneous power delivery, simplify board design, and reshape processor architecture, and where Noah sees Ferric headed in the future. 

In this week’s Fish Fry we’re casting our line into one of the most transformative shifts happening in the automotive industry today: the rise of software-defined systems! Nitish Rao from MathWorks and I take a closer look at which vehicle functions are best handled by AI-driven systems, and which still depend on the reliability of traditional control software and how virtual ECUs and digital twins enable simulation and validation before real hardware. We also discuss a question many engineers are asking: can software and AI actually reduce hardware costs?

Embedded Systems take center stage in this week’s podcast! My guest is Rolf Segger from SEGGER! Rolf and I dive deep into their extensive embedded solutions portfolio. This includes a close look at their RTOS, debuggers, IoT offerings, and their distinctive approach to licensing and support. We will also explore the fascinating concept of emApps, which represents an intriguing vision for embedded system design and is poised to shape the future of smart device development.

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.

In this week’s podcast, Amol Borkar from Cadence and I explore the major trends in high-performance audio and voice AI. We also investigate how the demanding new use cases in automotive are dramatically increasing audio workloads and how Tensilica HiFi iQ DSP is addressing the increasing requirements for voice AI and immersive audio.

This week we are diving deep into a revolution happening at the speed of light: the rise of photonic technology! My special guest is Dr. Abdul Rahim from PhotonDelta. Abdul and I discuss how photonic chips can address the energy efficiency demands posed by the current and projected growth of AI workloads, the role that standards will play in the next wave of hardware innovation, and key technical challenges currently involved in reliably and cost-effectively integrating photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) with existing CMOS technology. 

In this week’s podcast, we’re exploring the three trends poised to redefine how we design, simulate, and deploy complex systems in 2026 and beyond: agentic AI and the model context protocol for tool integration, hybrid terrestrial and non‑terrestrial wireless networks, and moving AI onto embedded hardware using virtual sensing and reduced‑order models. My guests, Seth DeLand and Houman Zarrinkoub from MathWorks, and I explore the practical problems in engineering workflows driving interest in agentic AI, the engineering challenges of hybrid terrestrial and non‑terrestrial wireless networks, and how smaller AI models can enable faster simulation and real‑time system responses.

This week's podcast is all about about autonomous systems, advanced machine intelligence and how Palladyne AI is revolutionizing how robots and drones perceive and interact with the world. My guest is Palladyne AI Chief Technology Officer & Co-Founder Dr. Denis Garagić! Denis and I discuss the secrets behind their proprietary technology, what sets them apart from other AI solutions that power and drones, their unique approach to AI challenges, and how Palladyne AI approaches the ethical considerations of deploying its AI technology

In this week’s Fish Fry podcast, I chat with cybersecurity expert Cordell Robinson about cutting-edge AI solutions, Agentic AI, and the interplay of automation, regulation, and innovation within federal cybersecurity. I also explore new research suggesting the human brain may function far more like AI than previously understood.

This week my esteemed guest is Ubicept CEO & Co-Founder Sebastian Bauer. Sebastian and I delve into Ubicept's mission and discuss the inherent limitations of today's computer vision systems.  We explore Ubicept's core strength: working with Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) sensors, and where Sebastian sees bottlenecks are popping up as SPAD sensors become more accessible. Finally, we discuss the transition of the computer vision industry to single-photon perception and what Sebastian thinks the biggest hurdles will be for new customers moving forward. 

In this week's podcast, we are investigating the challenges of designing batteries for electric aircraft with Dr. Graham Dudgeon from MathWorks. Graham has some great insights on how modeling and simulation are helping aerospace engineers tackle the thermal, electrical, and mechanical complexities of these cutting-edge power systems. Graham and I also chat about how computational tools map to the technology development cycle, and why simulating abnormal conditions is crucial for meeting strict aerospace safety requirements. Also this week, I take a look at an exciting new breakthrough: a method for lithium recycling that can transform battery waste into fresh, usable lithium feedstock.

In this week’s podcast, we're diving into a world you can barely see—the world of micro-manufacturing. The technology that's quietly powering the next generation of everything from advanced displays and tiny sensors to biomedical devices. My guest Dr. Patrick Heissler, CEO of Scrona, and I chat about how Scrona fits into the micro-manufacturing ecosystem, the significant investment that's fueling their growth, the details of their InkLogic technology, and where Dr. Heissler sees Scrona’s technology making the biggest impact. Also this week, I break down my favorite podcast episodes for 2025! 

We all know that the semiconductor industry has always been fiercely competitive, but what if the key to its next great leap isn't competition, but collaboration? My podcast guest, John Kibarian, President and CEO of PDF Solutions, believes that for the industry to keep pace with demand and complexity, a new model of cooperation is essential. In this week’s Fish Fry, we're going beyond traditional partnerships to explore what genuine, industry-wide collaboration looks like, how it fundamentally differs from past approaches, and what massive shift the industry must make to embrace this change. 

My podcast guest this week is Barun Kar, CEO of Upscale AI. Barun and I chat about the issues hindering the adoption of AI, the role that open standards will play in the trajectory of AI innovation and where Barun thinks AI infrastructure is headed in the future. Also this week, I check out a new chip that uses light to boost AI performance while reducing power consumption.

In honor of the upcoming U.S. holiday, this week's special episode of Fish Fry offers a little something for everyone. We kick things off by exploring how mushrooms can function as organic memory devices. Next up, I check out RoboCake, a multi-tiered dessert featuring various edible components and the world's first rechargeable edible battery! Finally, the episode wraps up with a look at how NASA-developed fogponics technology can help you grow vegetables right in your own home.

This week's podcast covers everything from the heights of the sky to the depths of the ocean. My guest is Paul Barnard from MathWorks, where we dive into one of my favorite subjects: Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Paul and I discuss the major software development hurdles for AAM vehicles, the advantages that a modular software approach offers these designs, and how engineers are working to synchronize simulation models with actual flight data. This week, I also look into SEACLEAR, an EU project that utilizes a team of autonomous robots to collect waste from the ocean floor.