Section 1: Introduction

• Greetings and Introductions
  • Sankhed introduces himself as the founder and CEO of Dirac Labs, formed in 2023 during his PhD at UW Madison.
  • He expresses appreciation for Charlie's time during the meeting.
  • Invites his colleague Kupadi to join the call.

Section 2: About Dirac Labs

• Company Background

  • Dirac Labs specializes in developing robust quantum sensors.
  • Focus on creating navigation systems that operate independently of external signals, primarily GPS.
  • Sensors leverage variations in magnetic fields for navigation despite external noise.

• Technical Specifications

  • Sensors are designed for high dynamic range and low sensitivity to accurately measure magnetic field variations.
  • Aim to validate technology across various platforms and expect traction with customers.

• Funding and Development

  • Raised over $1,800,000 in pre-seed funding from investors including Microsoft.
  • Based in Capital Square for hardware and sensor development, collaborating with the university.
  • Presence of a small software team in India focusing on machine learning algorithms.

Section 3: Sankhed's Background

• Educational and Professional Journey
  • Completed a PhD in Physics with a focus on quantum sensors, starting in 2020.
  • Prior experience at a quantum sensing startup in Singapore.
  • Founding COO of a company specializing in hyperspectral earth imagery using low Earth orbit satellites.
  • Undergraduate degree in Physics and Electronics Engineering in India.

Section 4: Kupadi's Background (Head of Engineering)

• Professional Experience
  • 21 years in the aerospace sector with experience in software, hardware, and embedded systems.
  • Focus on telemetry and data command equipment in space hardware.
  • Joined Dirac Labs for several years, overseeing engineering activities.

Section 5: Charlie's Background

• Educational Experience

  • Senior at the University of Wisconsin Madison, majoring in Computer Engineering and Computer Science.
  • Recently completed a co-op at Hologic, a medical device manufacturing company working in the surgical R&D division in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

• Co-op Responsibilities

  • Worked on various projects beyond electrical engineering, including:
  • Electrical test fixtures.
  • Systems-level engineering projects.
  • Debugging for product testing, including speaker and display performance evaluations.
  • Rapid prototyping with motors and sensors.

Section 6: Interests in Dirac Labs

• Interest in Navigation Technology
  • Fascinated by GPS-independent navigation systems.
  • Potential applications: space exploration, ocean exploration, and defense (e.g., submarines).
  • Consideration for recreational applications, such as scuba diving and urban navigation (e.g., tunnels).

Section 7: Undergrad Journey

• Courses and Interests

  • Found embedded systems courses particularly appealing during sophomore year.
  • Participated in various clubs:
  • Engineering Without Borders (validated pressure calculations for a water system project).
  • Engineering Business and Entrepreneurship Club ( tested a team project).
  • AI Scouts program (developed a Python script for scrapping course-related data).

• Capstone Project

  • Currently working on a desk companion robot using Raspberry Pi and microcontrollers, integrating AI and various sensors (e.g., RFID, thermal camera).

Section 8: Hologic Experience

• Company Size and Environment

  • Hologic is a large company (approx. 5,000 employees) with engineering divisions in surgical, breast and skeletal health, and diagnostics.
  • Worked within a small R&D electrical engineering team, fostering close-knit interactions.

• Project Experience

  • Developed a test fixture for fluid management systems that turned a complex manual process into a time-saving automated process.
  • Introduced automation by incorporating Python and creating a user-friendly executable program to facilitate testing procedures.

Section 9: Sustainability of Startups vs Large Corporations

• Work Preferences
  • Sankhed inquires about Charlie's preferences for structured vs unstructured work environments.
  • Charlie reflects on adjusting to both structured initial phases for foundational setup and adaptive responses to changing engineering requirements.

Section 10: Software and Hardware Expertise

• Microcontrollers and Programming Experience
  • Utilized Arduino and Infineon's PSoC microcontrollers in various projects.
  • Comfortable with embedded programming in C/C++ and Python, specifically for integrating with hardware components.
  • Asked about debugging issues when serial communication fails between Raspberry Pi and a microcontroller—Charlie notes the importance of systematic checking of both hardware connections and software processes.

Section 11: Final Questions and Closing

• Wrap-Up
  • Charlie inquires about previous intern projects and success metrics at Dirac Labs.
  • Emphasis on completing projects on time as a key indicator of success, along with the ability to problem-solve and demonstrate motivation.
  • Meeting concludes with thanks and expectations for follow-ups.