Seeed in Shenzhen with Eric Pan

Eric Pan is the founder and CEO of Seeed Studio, an open-source hardware and manufacturing platform based in Shenzhen, China. He joins Chris to discuss Seeed’s journey from early open-source roots to modern robotics, navigating the hardware ecosystem in Shenzhen, bridging the gap between semiconductor companies and developers, and how physical AI and low-cost hardware platforms are transforming innovation. Timeline Chris welcomes Eric Pan, founder and CEO of Seeed Studio, to discuss open-source hardware, the evolution of Shenzhen, and the emerging robotics ecosystem. (00:00:15) Eric recounts founding Seeed Studio in Shenzhen in 2008, starting with just two people committed to open hardware. (00:02:45) Eric discusses his background working at Intel and how Seeed’s earliest projects supported artists and interactive installations needing custom electronics. (00:05:30) Chris and Eric reminisce about the landmark 2015 Maker Faire Shenzhen and look forward to its return this December. (00:09:15) How hardware startups, suppliers, and maker spaces collaborate, share resources, and exchange talent across Shenzhen. (00:13:00) How the process of procuring components, tooling, and materials in Shenzhen has transformed over the past decade. (00:16:45) How Shenzhen’s modular electronics supply chain is pivoting to support rapid prototyping and production of robotic platforms. (00:20:30) Looking at Espressif Systems as a standout model of a domestic chip company that built a global market by championing developer communities and open-source software. (00:24:15) Why traditional semiconductor manufacturers are often hesitant to fund grassroots developer support, and the cost of neglecting community adoption. (00:27:45) How silicon vendors like Rockchip engage with open hardware ecosystems and community developers. (00:31:15) Brief audio dropout during the recording session. (00:34:45) The engineering philosophy behind creating the thumb-sized Seeed Studio XIAO microcontroller board series and packing high compute into minimal footprints. (00:35:15) Assessing the rise of “vibe coding” and how generative AI code assistants are influencing firmware development and electronics prototyping. (00:38:00) Exploring whether large language models and software automation threaten hardware platforms or act as powerful accelerators for engineers. (00:40:45) Brief recording interruption. (00:43:00) How rapid tooling and AI-assisted workflows speed up iteration cycles for physical electronics. (00:43:15) How Seeed is moving beyond board manufacturing to act as an ecosystem advisor connecting silicon vendors, factories, and developers. (00:45:15) Eric shares his perspective on viewing Shenzhen’s manufacturing hub as an open supermarket of modular resources rather than a cutthroat arena. (00:47:30) Exploring the shift from pure software models to embodied intelligence, connecting back to Chris’s conversation on Episode 732: Hands-on Physical AI with Kevin Cloutier. (00:49:45) Chris discusses purchasing the SO-101 Robot Arm Kit, which he previously mentioned in Episode 734, and how Seeed stepped in to support DIY builders who kept asking for assembly and calibration help. (00:52:00) How the open-source LeRobot framework is democratizing imitation learning, teleoperation, and robotics training. (00:54:15) Discussing the open-source Pollen Robotics Microduck bipedal robot and reinforcement learning sim-to-real pipelines. (00:56:30) Why sub-$200 open-source kits and standardized software stacks are lowering barriers to robotics education. (00:58:30) Seeed’s collaboration with NVIDIA around Jetson hardware for edge AI and robot control. (01:00:15) How Seeed serves as a vital bridge between chipmakers and global developer communities. (01:01:45) The practical realities of modern factory automation on the ground in Shenzhen. (01:03:00) Exploring the full spectrum of industrial automation—from simple fixtures and cobots all the way up to humanoid robots. (01:04:15) How the Seeed Fusion PCBA turnkey service helps hardware innovators prototype and scale production. (01:05:30)