Amelia's Weekly Fish Fry

Inside NTT’s Photonics Breakthroughs: A Roadmap to Light-Based Computing

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 06:02:00 -0100

Let’s talk about Photonics! My guests are esteemed scientists Tim McKenna and Ryo Yanagimoto, from the Physics & Informatics Laboratories at NTT. Tim and I chat about balancing theoretical physics with real-world applications at NTT, his most exciting photonics projects, and the primary obstacles to replacing traditional electronics with photonic technologies. Ryo and I dig into the game-changing potential of NTT’s programmable photonic chips. We discuss how their unique reconfigurability is shaking up traditional hardware manufacturing, facilitating a move from power-hungry electrical processing toward light-driven computation, and even allowing chips to self-correct for environmental shifts.

The Power of RAIN RFID: Building a Physical Intelligence Layer for AI and IoT

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:36:00 -0100

RAIN RFID takes center stage in this week's podcast!My guest is Matt Branda, Vice President at Impinj! Matt and I explore the vital role of RAIN RFID in the modern digital landscape. We break down what this technology actually is and the importance of Impinj’s contributions to the RAIN RFID ecosystem. We also chat about how RAIN RFID is shaping autonomous, data-driven operations and how it can serve as the physical intelligence layer that fuels the next generation of AI and IoT systems.

Fish Fry Special Edition: 2026 International Women in Engineering Day

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0100

Welcome to our third annual International Women in Engineering Day Fish Fry podcast! My special guests are Laura Mirkarimi from Adeia, Angelica Davila from Penguin Solutions, and Madison Ecklund from Texas Instruments. In this special episode of Fish Fry, we discuss their journeys into the world of high tech, examine how the EE landscape has changed over the years and what they would like to see in the future of engineering.

How We Can Leverage Digital Twins and AI for Next Generation Model-Based Systems Engineering

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0100

In this week's podcast, I explore the evolution of model-based systems engineering with Becky Petteys from MathWorks. We chat about how high-fidelity digital twins help teams catch issues early, the growing importance of data science in modern design, and the practical ways AI is transforming MBSE workflows today.

Reconfigurable Hardware: ElastixAI and The Future of Fast, Efficient AI Inference

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0100

Artificial intelligence is moving faster than ever, but as AI models continue to grow in size and complexity, the challenges surrounding inference performance are becoming impossible to ignore. In this week's podcast, ElastixAI CEO Dr. Mohammad Rastegari and I chat about how we can overcome those challenges and why a different approach to AI infrastructure is necessary for the next generation of AI innovation. We also explore the key bottlenecks limiting inference performance, how ElastixAI is tackling these issues, and why FPGAs are emerging as a compelling platform for accelerating large language model inference.

From IQSat to Artemis II: Aitech's Vision for Intelligent Spacecraft

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0100

Let’s go to space!!!! This week, we're diving into the cutting edge of AI in space with Pratish Shah of Aitech. Pratish and I discuss Aitech's IQSat - the world's first AI-enabled picosatellite constellation platform, and how the shift to AI in space computing is changing the economics and timeline for collecting and analyzing data beyond Earth. We'll also cover the immense challenges of integrating high-performance AI into a harsh environment, the emerging capabilities from constellations like IQSat, and Aitech’s essential role in NASA’s Artemis II mission.

Democratizing Large-Scale AI: The Future of AI Hardware with Andy Hock from Cerebras

Fri, 29 May 2026 06:00:00 -0100

My podcast guest this week is Andy Hock, Chief Strategy Officer at Cerebras. Andy and I are discuss the the revolutionary details of the Cerebras Wafer-Scale Engine (WSE). We also explore where the next major competitive frontier lies for AI hardware, how the latest WSE addresses the critical latency and energy efficiency challenges of deploying massive AI models for inference and Cerebras' role in democratizing access to large-scale AI research and deployment.

From Robotics to Remote Mining: How Private 5G Unlocks Physical AI

Fri, 22 May 2026 06:00:00 -0100

In this week’s podcast, we’re diving deep into the technology that is driving the next wave of enterprise digital transformation: Private 5G. My guest is Parm Sandhu, Group Vice President of Enterprise 5G Products and Services at NTT DATA, Inc. Parm and I chat about how NTT is tackling the biggest misconceptions businesses have about Private 5G today and what key considerations you need to keep in mind for a successful deployment. We also explore the crucial role of Private 5G connectivity in laying the groundwork for 'physical AI' and the strategic partnerships that are speeding up its deployment across industries.

AI in Safety-Critical Embedded Development: TASKING's New Approach to Verification and Validation

Fri, 15 May 2026 06:00:00 -0100

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.

The Future of RF: Digital Twins and the Elimination of System Integration Risks

Fri, 08 May 2026 06:00:00 -0100

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.

The Hidden Truths of AI Infrastructure: Why "Just Add GPUs" Always Fails

Fri, 01 May 2026 06:00:00 -0100

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!

Reshaping the Future of Data: How NTT and IOWN will Change How the World Communicates

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0100

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.

Scaling Advanced Materials for the Future of Battery Manufacturing: An Interview with Joe Adiletta of Volexion

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0100

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.

Solving the Memory Wall: A Deep Dive into AI Inference with Sandra Rivera

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0100

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.

ChipStack AI Super Agent: Cadence’s New Era for Silicon Verification

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0100

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.

Powering AI: Ferric’s IVR Revolution for High‑Performance Processors

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0100

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.

Driving the Code: Where the Rubber Meets the Software-Defined Road

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0100

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?

It Simply Works! SEGGER, emApps, and the Future of Embedded Systems Development

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0100

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.

From High‑Mix Production to Humanoids: Robotiq’s Push for Accessible Automation

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0100

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.

Tensilica HiFi iQ DSP: Voice AI Meets Immersive Automotive Audio

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0100

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.