All Episodes

July 16, 2025 28 mins

In the world of oil and gas operations, edge devices are  mission-critical. These compact, intelligent sensors operate in  the most extreme of environments, such as remote drill sites, deep wells, and hostile landscapes, where they continuously collect operational data. Best in class operators don't just throw digital at the field. They prioritize efficiency, reliability, and integrity at the edge, where human oversight is limited, infrequent, and mostly absent.

But the drive to digitize oilfield infrastructure raises major challenges: reliable power, cyber threats, temperature extremes, and real-time decision-making without cloud access. David Smith, VP of Innovation at Black Pearl Technology, shares how his team builds micro-powered, field-tough sensors that handle pre-processing on-site, sip power in microamps, and run mission-critical code on the edge to avoid failures.

MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) is enabling a new era of industrial sensing, complete with cyber-safe hardware that controls every component. Innovation must always serve a real-world problem—not just be a shiny gadget. From strain gauges to AI-at-the-edge, David offers an inside look into the future of smarter, safer, and smaller industrial tech.


👤 About the Guest:

David Smith is Vice President of Innovation and co-founder at Black Pearl Technology, where he leads the development of ruggedized, ultra-efficient sensing devices for industrial and energy sectors. With a background spanning biomedical, aerospace, and energy tech, David brings decades of experience in building purpose-driven edge innovations that survive the toughest conditions on earth.

💼 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/techpirate/

🔗 Black Pearl Technology Website


🛠️ Additional Tools & Resources:

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.