Violet Su, Business Development Manager at Seeed Studio, talks about how Seeed turns emerging technologies into practical LoRaWAN-ready solutions for industries, communities, and creators. She explains how the company bridges sensors, connectivity, and edge AI into a full stack that lowers friction for real-world deployments.
Guest Links:
Today's guest
2
:on MeteoScientific's
The Business of LoRaWAN is Violet
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:Su from Seeed Studio,
a global leader in AI and IoT hardware.
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:Violet leads business
development at Seeed,
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:where she helps turn emerging technologies
into real world solutions.
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:From edge AI cameras on LoRaWAN
to full sensor to cloud stacks.
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:In this episode,
8
:we get into how she thinks about hardware
for the LoRaWAN ecosystem,
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:what meaningful
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:customization looks like from prototype
through large scale manufacturing,
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:and why open source and tech for good
are central to their strategy.
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:We also talk about weather sensing,
community driven product
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:development, and where Violet sees LoRaWAN
and AI heading next.
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:This episode is sponsored
by the Helium Foundation
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:as dedicated
to spreading knowledge about LoRaWAN.
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:If you'd like to learn more
about the publicly available
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:global LoRaWAN
they run, visit Helium.Foundation.
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:Now let's dig into the
conversation with Violet Su.
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:Violet, thanks
so much for making the time and coming on.
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:You've got a busy schedule, so thank you.
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:Thank you so much for having me.
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:I'm so excited about joining this as well.
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:It's I think you might travel
more than anyone else in LoRaWAN,
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:or at least, as you said, over the past
couple of years, where where are you now?
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:And we record this November 26th, day
before Thanksgiving.
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:Currently I'm in Lymington Spa in England,
and it's a very cold here.
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:A little, little chilly in England. Okay.
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:Yeah. Cool.
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:And for folks,
I can't imagine there's many of them.
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:But for folks who don't know what you do,
can you walk me through kind of what
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:your job description is and what you do on
maybe a daily or weekly basis?
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:So myself my role is business
development assist studio.
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:So Seeed is a company
focused on AI and IoT hardware.
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:And my role as business development
basically my role in one sentence
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:is I strengthen our existing partnership
and also look for new partnership.
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:Right.
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:And every time I go to a trade show
you are there for sure.
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:So you get to to see a lot of what's going
on. Now.
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:Seeed hasn't always been so hot and heavy
and I right.
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:That's the last couple years.
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:I remember getting a camera from you guys
maybe two years ago,
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:and it was kind of,
it seemed like the beginning of our
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:at least AI and LoRaWAN
for the general public.
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:Yeah.
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:I think for us, because zero is actually
in the middle of integrating technology,
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:turn them into hardware
and then provide them either as open
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:source hardware models or devices
for the industry.
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:So we always try to adopt the emerging
technology and provide them as hardware
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:so that people can access it more easily,
no matter for prototyping
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:or for solutions.
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:So in the past, it's not very heavy
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:with AI, but recent years
it's been growing very fast.
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:So we are right.
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:The the AI camera with LoRaWAN.
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:It was very new.
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:We launch it.
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:First in 2010, new tool
and LoRaWAN Expo in Paris.
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:Yeah.
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:And it was pretty exciting at the time
because it was the first kind of
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:glimmer of, hey, let's do this
capture and compute right at the edge,
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:and then just send the information we see.
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:So I saw six people or whatever.
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:We don't need to send the images.
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:For me, that was a new thing back then.
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:I'm sure for people in the industry,
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:maybe it was not so new,
but it's pretty exciting
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:because one of the things Seeed does
really
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:well is make these really complex stacks
pretty accessible.
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:If you think about,
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:you know, camera vision
and putting all that stuff together
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:and putting it into a lower one package
and then adding a camera
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:and making the whole thing
work, like there's a lot of moving parts
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:there, and Seeed does a really good job of
of putting all that together.
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:When you think about what Seeed does,
how would you describe it
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:to someone who's in the LoRaWAN business
who may not have heard of you guys?
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:So I think,
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:we can describe us as a hurry provider
who covers
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:from the sensor part that it can allow you
to collect real world data,
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:no matter is environmental or voice
or image or video.
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:And then when you get the data
you need to transmit data.
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:So we have different kind of connectivity
from LoRaWAN to Wi-Fi
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:hello to Wi-Fi Bluetooth or cellular.
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:And then when you get the data,
you need to know how to use the data.
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:So we have the edge device
either for control
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:or for more advanced video analytics
or with AI capabilities.
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:So this is what we provide from sensors
to collect data, connectivity
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:to transmit data, and edge
computing to process data.
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:And then
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:there's a fair amount of customization
that you guys do for customers as well.
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:Right I know.
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:I think Travis Teague
might have introduced us years ago,
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:and he always pushes people to say,
hey, if you've got an idea
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:and it's pretty cool, go to talk to Seeed
because they'll help you help
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:you bring it to fruition.
Walk me through that process.
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:What does that look like?
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:Yeah, sure.
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:So we do understand,
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:like when we design a product,
we try to make it very comprehensive
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:so that anyone in
any application can use it.
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:But of course, be very comprehensive.
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:Then it might be overkill
for certain scenario.
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:Or sometimes
we think it might cover the knees.
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:And in real world application
it might not.
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:So we know that no matter how much you
want it to be perfect or to be suitable
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:when it comes to a real world application,
it might not.
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:So we open up our capability
to help customers with customization.
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:So basically it goes
from the very beginning a prototype
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:that you can use our model
to build your own prototype.
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:And then when it's done
you can use our fusion PCB and piece
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:be assembly service
to make a small batch or production.
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:And then when you finish the small
batch production and then you manage
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:a large volume of production,
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:then we have our whole supply
chain manufacturing services
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:to go to very large volume of production,
including like certification.
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:And also even for some customers,
they say, oh,
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:I have this batch that I can provide
for the customer, but what next?
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:So we even open up our marketplace
like our online store,
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:our sales channels
for selling them as well.
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:So I think for customization
is in the whole like a package
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:from prototype to production
and then also promotion and sales.
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:And then when you're saying small batch,
at first
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:there may be someone listening to this
that has an idea and they want to do,
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:you know, 10 or 100 or a thousand.
What does small batch mean?
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:Like what is that?
What are those numbers like?
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:It's a very good question because I think
if you talk
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:to a very traditional manufacturer
and say a small batch of them,
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:I say 10,000 of them, there's a small
one for us, it is actually
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:can go from one, one unit
or even or maybe five units.
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:So it really depends because for example,
if you have a design ready
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:and then you can upload the global file
and the build a material.
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:And if you only manufacture one units
and it might be more expensive
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:by the unit price. Right.
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:But it can go from one or 5 or 10.
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:So we we really try to make it very simple
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:for people
to make what they want to make or like.
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:When we talk about customization,
if we want
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:the one that we have already, but
you want to the solution to be consistent.
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:So your software is your brand,
but then you want the hardware
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:or the whole solution
that you provide to the end
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:customer is consistent
with the same brand.
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:So for white labeling then
it can also start from very small batch.
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:Maybe can like just make one.
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:Of course
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:it might be more expensive then say okay
maybe ten, then it's more reasonable.
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:Yeah, that's super cool to know.
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:But I've always got little projects to
to put in.
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:I'm always like mucking about, okay,
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:but maybe it's
just easier to go to see it,
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:especially since you guys are so familiar
with LoRaWAN, which is where
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:I usually kind of drift
to for for fairly obvious reasons.
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:Walk me through the community piece
you guys are really big on community
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:and that's a large part of your job.
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:Tell me how you think Seeed fits
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:into the global LoRaWAN community
and what you're doing with it.
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:So I think it for as community
is always in the heart of our business
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:and also the whole companies operation
because like the company
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:was born out in the community
very beginning from Arduino.
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:And then we have Raspberry
Pi series products.
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:So when we design something,
we listen to the voice
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:from the community about what they want
and then we make them so.
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:And also for LoRaWAN, it's also from
the community like the things conference,
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:like the things industry.
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:And also helium is all community
based project.
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:So for us, we we heard the noise or
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:like behind the voice from the community
and learn about what they want.
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:And then we make the product.
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:And even when we, we know,
oh, maybe the customer want this one
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:and they want to make them.
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:But it's not that we think in our own lab
and make them.
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:For example, one of the product
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:that I am really proud of is
we have a LoRaWAN data locker.
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:So it kept after we already
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:launch a few units of the US,
no end nodes like sensors.
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:And then people asked us like,
oh, do you have a data that can convert us
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:for if I to LoRaWAN to oh, okay,
that seems interesting.
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:But then when one person told us about it,
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:we might market somewhere like,
no, didn't someone who owns it.
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:But then we would talk to more people,
no matter
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:from online or offline communication.
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:We realized that a lot of demands
and that.
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:So we talk to our team
and then we turn into products.
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:So this is a very typical past that we
learned about the news from the community.
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:And then we make them.
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:And then when we heard more of the needs,
we might have new versions coming out
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:that can cater to the wider niche
or maybe a smaller but niche needs.
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:Got it.
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:Yeah, it's super cool
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:to see what you guys are doing
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:and then walk me through this other
piece of open source.
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:I know that's a really big part
of what you guys are doing.
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:So for us,
when we talk about community, also,
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:many people think about like,
how easy can I use the product
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:and if it is open source
then it is easier for people to like
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:put their somewhere on it
or even maybe change closure for it
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:because we have all the design file
already there.
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:So for us, we have a lot of our products
that are open source,
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:or maybe at the very beginning
it is not open source.
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:And later we realized that a lot of these
and by open sourcing the product,
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:it will make it easier.
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:So another example is we have our tracker.
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:So we have our since capture 1000 tracker
a different version of them.
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:And we have like the one version
have sensors, the other doesn't
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:as AMD also have another version
that is supporting mesh tastic.
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:And many people ask us and say, oh,
I wanted to use this,
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:but with this other functionality like not
press button twice for S.O.S., but once.
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:Or maybe I want to the lead color
with demand integration.
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:Is that so?
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:We are thinking,
it will be customized for them.
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:On the one end, we need a lot of resources
within our team,
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:and then maybe we have other projects
that occupy the team's resources already.
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:So I think this year
we will release tracker
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:and it is open
source two that is supporting LoRaWAN.
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:And then you can put your own on there too
and develop for your own needs.
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:So for us, open source
is also something that
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:on the one hand people are thinking about
if it is open source,
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:how can you make money?
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:And on the other hand, people are thinking
about open source is really awesome.
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:So for us, we understand when we open
source it, we might get copied.
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:But on the other hand
we understand by open
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:sourcing our products
it help the community thrive
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:and help people adopt
and use our products in an easier way.
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:So it is something that we always hold
dear to our heart
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:and we try our best to balance this.
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:Like on the one hand,
we are business companies
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:that need to grow with our business,
but on the other hand,
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:we want to see how we can grow together
with a community.
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:Listen to their voice
and also to support them.
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:And open source is one of the important
ways that we support the community.
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:Yeah, yeah,
that's always the the question.
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:I mean, for smaller makers,
it's a little bit easier to open source
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:everything because for many projects
it just doesn't make sense for a company
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:to come along, make 10,000 of something
that nobody really cares about.
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:But for you guys, it's
it is pretty important.
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:It's cool
to see that you guys are doing it.
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:It's a nice segue into tech for good.
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:Can you walk me through what what that is?
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:Yeah, definitely.
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:So I think it's all interlinked, right?
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:Within all this different concept
that we hold as a like what we talk about
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:and what we do.
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:So when we talk about technology, on the
one hand, sometimes it might be daunting.
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:People are thinking about,
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:oh, this kind of technology,
is it more harmful or is it more useful.
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:So on this, in this case,
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:I think what we try to do
is we want to spread the technology
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:at least like educating about it
to make it easier for people to use.
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:So I think like currently
now we are talking in
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:this podcast is a way to spread the word
about
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:the positive side of LoRaWAN
and also about its application.
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:So I think in this way
it can be put into the wide
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:scope of education of the technology.
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:So we do put a lot of efforts in that
no matter with individuals,
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:we have some of our partners,
we call them arrangers.
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:So the workshop in Local Community
Online is a tried to educate
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:people about different kind of technology
to get hands on how to use them.
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:And also we collaborate
with universities, institutes,
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:with professors, students
and show them how to use the technology.
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:So this is one thing.
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:What about how we can make technology
easily accessible
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:with the materials,
with the content, with the support?
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:But on the other hand,
we also support the community
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:with tech feel Good
about how we can use technology
263
:in a scenario that can alleviate disaster
or get an early response.
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:Or maybe for like a marine conservation.
265
:Is that so?
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:When we talk about LoRaWAN, I think that
the merit of it is very outstanding
267
:how it can be able to deploy it
and collect data from a very remote area.
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:But in this case, some people, on the one
hand, they may not know this technology
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:or on the other hand,
when they know this technology,
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:it might be difficult for them to use it.
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:If it is not robust enough
or if it is too complex
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:with too high requirements
for like tech stack.
273
:So what we try to do is on the one hand,
we might sponsor some of the products,
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:and then we also provide our team
or our community partners
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:supported to
to help them with the deployment
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:or the the integration
and on the other hand,
277
:when it comes to the specific scenario
about the knees,
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:we might co-develop certain projects
together with the community,
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:because the ones that we have right now
might not meet the needs.
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:Then we can work with them together
and say, hey,
281
:we understand
this kind of data is important
282
:and we don't have them in our
in our roadmap.
283
:And it might not be enough to turn into
a product that can sell with a high ROI.
284
:And then in this case,
we would take it as a kind of project
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:that we put it
under the program as so good,
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:so we could develop this project,
and then it might not be profitable,
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:but it will be able to deploy it
in this scenario.
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:And then other people
see how it can be used in this way.
289
:Then it might attract more people
to use it as well, and eventually
290
:it might turn into a commercial project.
291
:And so the the partner who design it
with as
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:they are able
to turn the ideas into products as well.
293
:So I think in.
294
:Net we could then divide it in a very
clear way about which one is for profit.
295
:And which one is not for profit.
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:But what we always try to do
is to steer it in the way that we show
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:technology is accessible, technology
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:is like easy to use, like practical.
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:Sure. Yeah. Nothing theoretical.
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:And also technology is not something
that is up in there in the book,
301
:but also to the s that you can
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:literally like solidly touch it
and then use it
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:for something that is influencing
in our daily basis as well.
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:Yeah, it's so cool.
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:Super cool to see what you guys are
are doing with that.
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:I would be remiss if I didn't mention that
that one of your Seeed Rangers
307
:is Robert Boggs.
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:Yeah, and I don't think
I've seen anyone more stoked to.
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:To go to what?
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:He just went to the Maker Faire
in Shenzhen.
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:Yeah, right.
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:So yes, definitely.
313
:So I think it again, I think this is
an example of how something
314
:that can be tiny from a certain scope,
when you look at it like a robot always.
315
:That is from a small village and he's
building something that no one cares.
316
:But then, I mean, he's been inspiring
317
:a lot of people,
and now we are talking to like, Robert.
318
:And there's another a partner, Tom,
you ought to interview him, right?
319
:Oh yeah. Yeah.
320
:So I think they
they are some of the examples of like
321
:how an individual feels something that is
influencing that the local community
322
:and then gradually
it grows the impact to a wider audience.
323
:So he came to make a fish and then
and then he sort of spruce there.
324
:So what he did for the village,
with a lot of end solutions
325
:for environmental sensing, climate data,
and also about the swimming pool.
326
:And so many people are talking with him.
327
:And then some of them
might even not speak English well.
328
:And then they use translation.
329
:And then talking about
330
:how his documentation online will be able
to help them build their own solutions.
331
:So I think those kind of projects
or individuals,
332
:these are really inspiring us
to to move forward and say
333
:this is something that I'm proud of,
and then we want to do more.
334
:Yeah, yeah.
335
:It was it was rad to see his documentation
of the whole thing.
336
:And it's really cool to see that
you guys have this really kind
337
:of ecosystem
mindset versus just just product.
338
:Maybe we wrap this thing up with you've
seen a lot of what's going on in LoRaWAN.
339
:What are some things that you wish more
people knew about either Seeed or LoRaWAN,
340
:as you just travel the world and
and gain insight?
341
:Yeah, I think sometimes
when we talk about technology,
342
:it might be a little bit isolated
when it's like in this technology
343
:specifically because, for example,
I think when we first launch the camera
344
:that we mentioned earlier
during this conversation,
345
:the first thing people talk to is like,
346
:oh, a LoRaWAN couldn't send image,
then how can you do that?
347
:So I think there are two things
about LoRaWAN that excites me.
348
:And then I think I want more
people to know is on the one
349
:hand, you do not necessarily
send to the image, right?
350
:Because you just need the result,
351
:even though you send the image
through Wi-Fi or something,
352
:eventually you want to know
what happened in the image.
353
:So you all need the result.
354
:So the good thing about it is now
we can combine AI with LoRaWAN.
355
:So so is I kept saying like
with this camera, if you train the model
356
:for butterfly, then you're able to call it
a butterfly sensor.
357
:And then you send the data
when it detects butterfly or not,
358
:or maybe detect this kind of butterfly
or the other kind of butterfly, like for
359
:for conservation. Right.
360
:But on the other hand,
I know that Semtech has a new chip
361
:coming out and then it can support
sending image as well.
362
:So like we can never be limited
with the development of technology.
363
:So now like when I introduced the camera
I was like, oh I know Lora,
364
:when you couldn't send image of a Laurel
and now I need to change it to like, yes.
365
:Now you can send image by LoRaWAN as well.
366
:So this is something very exciting
and I know is very new with the chip.
367
:But I think we will have the development
kit coming out very soon.
368
:I couldn't help but thinking about
369
:what kind of application
that people can make with this new chip.
370
:And who knows, maybe
371
:in a few months or like in a year or two,
there will be other chips coming out
372
:and then we can get even more data
with LoRaWAN
373
:and or like
maybe it reach a wider range or like
374
:now we are also talking about LoRaWAN
with like satellite as well.
375
:So this yeah, just a lot of excitement
and a lot of possibilities
376
:which very excited about.
377
:Yeah, it's a great time to be alive
and in the LoRaWAN ecosystem.
378
:I know that Alper was talking
379
:just the other day in his AMA
about the satellite side.
380
:So that's super cool to see
come down the pipe,
381
:but I know you're super busy travel a ton.
382
:Thanks for carving out some time
to talk to us on The Business of LoRaWAN
383
:thank you so much for having me.
384
:I'm looking forward
385
:to learning more about different kind
of LoRaWAN applications from your podcast.
386
:That's it for
387
:this episode of The Business of LoRaWAN.
388
:I built this for you.
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:The one person in about 100,000
who actually has an interest
390
:in how this tiny little slice of the world
works.
391
:Of course, this isn't just about you
and me, it's about everyone in law
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:and how we can work together
to make an exceptional thing.
393
:LoRaWAN is a dispersed community
with little pockets of knowledge
394
:all around the world,
and most of them don't
395
:talk to each other as much as I'd like.
396
:So the first and best thing
we can do to make this show better
397
:is to get more guests
on who I don't even know exist.
398
:I want to talk to strangers.
399
:Strangers who are your friends.
400
:Please
introduce me to the most rad LoRaWANeer
401
:you know or point to my way, or reach out
and give me a name.
402
:When it comes to running down
LoRaWAN guests, I can track a falcon
403
:on a cloudy day.
404
:If you can remember Mexico,
you can find me.
405
:That's m e t s ci dot o w.
406
:That's Rico.
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:Okay, so sharing knowledge
by getting great guests on is the first,
408
:and by far the most important thing
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409
:The next best thing for the show to do
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:Again, that's Matt's sideshow.
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about a year if you're firing every hour.
420
:The show is supported by a grant
from the Helium Foundation and produced by
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:Crystal King, Inc..
422
:I'm Nick Cox.
I'll see you on the next show.