Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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100

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May 2026

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About the show

Our Moore's Lobby Podcast serves an elite global audience of engineers, technologists, and executives with a goal to educate, empower, and entertain. We discuss the technologies and engineering behind the hottest industry trends as host Daniel Bogdanoff guides you through the human stories behind the world's most inspiring organizations and leaders. Tune in monthly for new episodes.

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May 19, 2026Episode 353 min

Sensing at the Control Level: Leveraging Data for Both Safety and Analytics

In the engineering world, we rely on sensors to acquire data from real-world processes and machines. Deciding how to use that data is very important. The right decisions impact process efficiency, system reliability, and even worker safety. Join Control.com's David Peterson as he chats with Kate Sokolnicki of Rockwell Automation in this episode of the Moore's Lobby podcast. Sokolnicki explains the evolution of industrial sensing and the shift toward data-driven manufacturing. They discuss many key technological advancements, including: -IO-Link as a standard: Simple sensors are transitioning into "smart" devices that provide dual-channel feedback—process data and health analytics—without typical price premiums. -Commoditized vision AI: High-end vision systems are being replaced by affordable cameras capable of quality checks and AI-driven processing at the edge or in the cloud. -Smart safety protocols: Learn how operators can now pinpoint specific faults in a daisy-chained system (e.g., identifying exactly which door is ajar), significantly reducing troubleshooting time. Sokolnicki notes that while AI is powerful, it requires robust metadata (machine, shift, and location context) to be actionable. She highlights how condition monitoring—such as tracking "heartbeats," sensor margins, or cable tension—allows plants to move from reactive repairs to proactive maintenance. She concludes by encouraging young engineers to prioritize back-of-the-napkin math and the common-sense test. Instead of relying solely on theoretical calculations, she advocates for interrogating results to ensure they align with physical reality. Rockwell Automation is committed to enabling the next generation of smart manufacturing. Under their Allen-Bradley brand, Rockwell has a broad portfolio of high-performance sensors and switches. This includes proximity and photoelectric sensors, limit switches, safety switches, and RFID and operator safety devices. Meet Kate Sokolnicki Kate Sokolnicki is the Global Business Director for Rockwell Automation's Sensing & Safety business unit and serves as the site lead for Rockwell's Chelmsford, MA location. She oversees product portfolio strategy and is responsible for global sales growth. Kate joined Rockwell in 2015 as a product specialist and was promoted to portfolio manager supporting Sensing, Safety, and Connectivity. Most recently, she was a business manager responsible for in-cabinet infrastructure products, including single-pair Ethernet/IP. Prior to joining Rockwell, Kate worked in the biomedical industry as an applications engineer. Kate holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and lives in Chelmsford, MA.

April 21, 2026Episode 256 min

Sensors Insights: Bridging Hardware Collection and Software Analysis

The "old school" way was simple: a sensor sees a part, tells the controller, and the actuator moves. It was pure hardware logic, and it worked. But in today's smart factories, that's only half the story. Modern sensors aren't just on/off switches anymore—they are eyes and ears, and sometimes even the brains, of the automation. However, surprisingly few engineers really understand both the hardware and software sides of machine data. In this episode of the Moore's Lobby podcast, Control.com's David Peterson discusses sensors with Nils Beckmann, an expert with a background in both sensor hardware and IIoT software analytics. They explore the various solutions and best practices that ease the pathway to productively using sensor information. Emerson has been a leader in measurement instrumentation for over 50 years. They have a broad portfolio of measurement and analytical instrumentation, software, integrated systems, and services. Meet Nils Beckmann In his role as Director of Engineering, Intelligent Automation at Emerson, Nils Beckmann brings extensive industry experience in Digital Transformation, IIoT, and Software across a wide range of applications in the discrete manufacturing industry. He leads globally distributed team that supports Emerson's Discrete Automation group with hardware and software solutions designed to enhance productivity and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), while minimizing waste and promoting sustainability. The team also facilitates connectivity, AI and data analytics across all brands within the group. Nils previously served in various positions across IT, software, data analysis, AI, product management, and development. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Applied Computer Science from Fachhochschule Hannover.

March 17, 2026Episode 157 min

Industrial Sensors: The Building Blocks That Lead to Process Optimization

Automation engineers have heard a lot about condition monitoring in recent years as one of the most common examples of how AI and digital transformation are actually hitting the ground with real results for industry. Sensing is certainly the foundation of the process, but it requires the proper mix of equipment and know-how to move from a simple project to a fully scaled-up implementation. In this episode of the Moore's Lobby podcast, Control.com's David Peterson visits Salim Dabbous, the Director of Consulting & Digital Solutions at SICK. Salim has a broad background that includes working with end users and integrators. He is now a director for a leading sensing manufacturer. Salim brings insights to help get started and move forward with successful projects that deliver tangible results.

August 19, 2025Episode 841 min

Powering EVs: Microgrids & DC Charging Solutions

In this episode of the Moore's Lobby podcast, we sit down with Antonio Di Vaira, Senior VP for Power Product of Schneider Electric to discuss the massive shifts happening in the world of energy distribution. The conversation kicks off by exploring how the explosive growth of electric vehicles and energy-hungry technologies like AI are pushing traditional power grids to their breaking point. He also explains that while building out new grid capacity is part of the long-term solution, the industry needs ways to sustain this growth in the short term. This sets the stage for a deep dive into microgrids. Di Vaira breaks down how intelligent software is needed to manage the complex orchestration between sources and loads. The discussion also explores the exciting potential of native DC (direct current) power distribution. As more sources (like solar panels) and loads (like EVs and data centers) are native to DC, creating dedicated DC microgrids can offer significant gains in efficiency and simplicity. The episode concludes with a look at the future of the industry. Di Vaira emphasizes the need for engineers to adopt a multidisciplinary mindset and the critical importance of staying customer-centric to drive true innovation. Meet Antonio Di Vaira Antonio Di Vaira is the Senior VP for Power Products in North America, Mexico, and Central America at Schneider Electric. He oversees strategy, R&D, market development, and go-to-market for the ANSI, NEMA, and LV portfolio, including Services. He previously spent over 20 years at ABB in global and local leadership roles across R&D, product management, M&A, and supply chain. Antonio holds a master's in computer engineering from the University of Pavia.

July 22, 2025Episode 750 min

Material Science in Motion: How 3M is Powering EV and Grid Advancements

Technologists and leaders will be interested in hearing Mike explain how 3M's R&D culture that emphasizes collaborative problem-solving. They continue to leverage their "15% time" philosophy to fosters creative solutions that are being applied to our rapidly electrifying world. If you're passionate about how fundamental material science is enabling breakthrough innovation in the electrical engineering world, this is an episode you don't want to miss. : -The Surprising Role of Adhesives and Tapes: A look at how 3M's advanced materials are critical components in everything from wind turbines to EV battery packs and motors. -Solving Thermal Runaway in Batteries: An engineer's perspective on the challenge of preventing cell-to-cell propagation during thermal runaway and the novel materials being designed to maintain electrical insulation at extreme temperatures. -Innovations in Electric Motor Design: A discussion on the latest trends to boost motor efficiency and simplify manufacturing, including advanced cooling strategies and the development of an expandable slot liner that incorporates adhesive. -Digital Twins and the R&D Cycle: How simulation and digital twins are used to model complex, chaotic events like thermal runaway, significantly reducing the development and iteration time for new technologies.

June 17, 2025Episode 656 min

Aligning Passion With Purpose: A Journey to Electrification and Sustainability

Dr. Mital Kanabar is the Senior Director of Innovation, Grid Automation, Grid Solutions at GE Vernova. He joins our podcast to discuss the explosive electricity demand driven by electric vehicles, AI data centers, and the general electrification of industries. This increased demand puts a strain on an aging infrastructure, necessitating new solutions to ensure a reliable and resilient power supply. Check out this engaging conversation that touches on a number of important topics, including: Decarbonization and Green Electrons: The push to generate electricity from renewable sources like wind, solar, and nuclear power to reduce carbon emissions. Software-Defined Automation: The shift from rigid, hardware-based grid control to flexible, software-driven systems like GE Vernova's GridBeats platform, which uses AI and machine learning. Bi-Directional Power Flow: The concept of "prosumers," where consumers of electricity, such as electric vehicle owners, can also supply power back to the grid. Cybersecurity in the Digital Grid: The increasing importance of protecting the power grid from cyberattacks as it becomes more digitized and interconnected.

May 20, 2025Episode 554 min

Generative AI for Dirty Jobs—The Next Industrial Revolution?

Christopher Savoie, the founder and CEO of Zapata Computing, has had a fascinating career journey. After beginning as a young programmer working with early computers, he switched gears to immunology and biophysics in Japan and is now founding AI companies. Along the way, he was also involved in creating the foundational technology for Apple Siri, working on early language models embedded in agents to solve complex natural language problems. In this interview with our host, Daniel Bogdanoff, Savoie highlights the evolution of AI into specialized systems. Like an orchestra, small, task-specific models working in ensembles are more effective than large, monolithic ones. He also shares how AI transforms automotive, motorsports, and grid management industries. Savoie recounts his experiences at Nissan with predictive battery analytics and Andretti Autosport, where AI-driven simulations optimize race strategies. Savoy warned about the potential misuse of AI and big data, advocating for ethical considerations, especially around privacy and government control. Despite these challenges, he remains optimistic about AI's potential, expressing a desire for tools to handle complex personal organization tasks, such as multi-modal time and travel management.

April 22, 2025Episode 449 min

Creating Next-Gen Microcontroller Developer Tools and Equipping the People Who Use Them

In this interview, our Moore's Lobby host, Daniel Bogdanoff, chats with Rodger Richey, Vice President of Development Tools and Academic Programs at Microchip Technology. Rodger shares how his passion for engineering began with childhood curiosity, dismantling and repairing devices like a microwave. Those early hands-on experiences laid the foundation for his electrical engineering career, which started with designing underwater electronics for the U.S. Navy. Rodger discusses the evolution of development tools and the growing complexity of embedded systems over his 30-year tenure at Microchip. He emphasizes the importance of creating accessible and user-friendly tools, such as IDEs and development boards, to help developers tackle increasingly sophisticated projects. The integration of AI into development workflows is a major milestone, enabling enhanced productivity and better debugging. Rodger also highlights his involvement in academia, spearheading initiatives like virtual internships and hands-on learning programs to better prepare students for industry roles. By providing real-world tools and fostering collaboration, these programs aim to bridge the gap between theoretical education and practical application. Rodger attributes his longevity at Microchip to its strong values, collaborative culture, and dedication to innovation, which have remained consistent even as the company has grown significantly.

March 18, 2025Episode 348 min

Navigating the AI Revolution in Education, Workforce Development, and Government

The interview explores K S Venkatraman's journey in technology, NVIDIA's growth, and the future of AI. Venkatraman reflects on his academic upbringing and early experiments with electronics. He reflects on his that began at Intel and eventually transitioned to NVIDIA after a brief startup venture. In this conversation with our Moore's Lobby host, Daniel Bogdanoff, Venkatraman delves into pivotal technological advancements. This includes the development of GPUs for AI and the role of hardware-software co-design in fueling the AI revolution. Looking ahead, Venkatraman envisions AI addressing global challenges, including education and healthcare. He emphasizes the importance of AI education and encourages engineers to leverage AI tools to enhance productivity without fearing job displacement. He also stresses the necessity of ethical AI practices and collaboration between corporations and governments to ensure responsible innovation. The interview concludes with insights into unusual AI applications, like generative models for text-to-video, and Venkatraman's optimism about the transformative potential of AI across all sectors. His closing advice underscores embracing AI as a tool for solving complex problems and fostering continuous learning.

February 18, 2025Episode 251 min

GaN Powers Up in AI, Robotics, and Our Lives

In this fascinating interview, Alex Lidow discusses his early exposure to semiconductors through his father and grandfather, who founded International Rectifier. Initially pursuing aeronautical engineering at Caltech, he shifted to solid-state physics, igniting a lifelong career. He shares his role in developing HexFETs, a groundbreaking transistor technology, highlighting the creativity and persistence required for innovation. After being unexpectedly dismissed from International Rectifier, Alex founded EPC to focus on GaN technology. He details GaN's superior properties, such as high efficiency and robustness, which make it a transformative alternative to silicon in power devices. Despite early struggles with manufacturing yields, persistence led to breakthroughs that enabled GaN's application in LiDAR, space electronics, and fast chargers. Alex reflects on how mistakes foster breakthroughs and stresses the importance of education to help engineers adopt GaN technology. Looking ahead, Alex expresses excitement about emerging applications, such as humanoid robots, where GaN's integration in motors, AI, and LiDAR could revolutionize industries. His advice to aspiring innovators is to embrace challenges and persist through the highs and lows of invention.