AI, CircuitPython, Zephyr®, and a Year of Change in the Engineering Education Space
Maker Faire Bay Area 2026
September 25th-27th
Last year, Ross Satchell took the Maker Faire stage to talk about AI's growing role in engineering education. This year he's back, joined by Microchip's Bob Martin, the "Wizard of Make," for a look at what's changed in twelve fast months: vibe coding as a real workflow for building embedded applications, and a first look at Zephyr®, the open-source RTOS backed by the Linux Foundation® that's quickly becoming a top pick in embedded development.
They'll also introduce the PyKit Explorer - an exciting new CircuitPython-based development platform coming soon to Microchip Direct and DigiKey, along with a full library of educational content and ready-to-run workshops built for classrooms and makerspaces.
Schedule
Ross Satchell and Bob Martin from Microchip Technology Inc.
Ross Satchell is a Senior Applications Engineer in Microchip Technology's Academic Program, building CircuitPython tools and hardware kits like the PyKit Explorer for students and makers. He got his start self-teaching electronics to build a PID-controlled espresso machine before moving into engineering full time. Bob Martin, Microchip's "Wizard of Make," is a Senior Staff Engineer with over 30 years in embedded systems. He's Microchip's principal liaison to the Maker community, known for bridging the Arduino, SparkFun, and Adafruit ecosystems with hands-on engineering education.
