- SKDB (the open-source “Standardized Knowledge Database” for hardware) is experimenting with embedding equations directly in YAML package files and letting the system solve for unknown variables on demand; a metal-extrusion YAML package is being drafted as a test case.  
- The project is moving away from Django to a CherryPy-only web stack and is debating how to expose editable package data—proposed model is GitHub-style forks/distributions so users can branch parts without polluting “main”.  
- A public file server (davinci/adl.serveftp.org) now hosts ~90 GB of curated biology, manufacturing, and textbook PDFs, with rsync access enabled for contributors.  
- Discussion on how to encode design constraints in SKDB: e.g., declaring that extrusion-die yield stress must exceed extrusion pressure, and whether the system should auto-derive inverse equations.  
- Lego and screw packages are being used as early examples; YAML grammars, interface definitions, and component term lists are already checked in and browsable.  
- Participants want a vision system that can read graphs from datasheets to auto-populate SKDB parameters, acknowledging current lack of tooling.  
- Practical shop-floor angle: no inventory yet exists for the university ME machine shop; contributors are encouraged to catalogue tools and model numbers.  
- Community culture note: skepticism about Thingiverse and Instructables workflows—participants argue most machinists won’t touch a command line, so SKDB must stay click-friendly while remaining scriptable.