Apr 02 2009
Optimism and energy high at Embedded Systems Conference
You wouldn’t think there was a recession going on, judging by the strong attendance at the Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose this week. Engineers and designers are telling us that they are using this time to find the next important technology to build devices that will be up and ready for sale by the time the economy gets back on its feet, which some of the show-goers are pegging at mid 2010.
Clearly everyone wants more smarts in their devices. Cars will be ever richer with multimedia and GPS OEM and aftermarket technology. Printers will have more smarts built into them. Medical devices will become more consumer-friendly. Factory automation will become increasingly sophisticated, run by small, rugged x86-based technology. Alp Sezen of VIA Embedded talks about the x86-based small form factor boards, digital signage and ruggedized systems that the company showed at its booth.
And what do engineers do when they want to have fun? Check out this air hockey-playing robot on the show floor of Embedded Systems Conference. Built by Nuvation for exhibitor Freescale, the clicking of the hockey puck could be heard from the moment the show floor opened until it closed.
