# Summary of #hplusroadmap IRC Discussions

• Participants discussed Willow Garage's shift to a commercial business model, noting their significant contributions to open-source robotics through OpenCV, ROS (Robot Operating System), and PR2 robots.

• The feasibility of building DIY DNA synthesizers was explored, with suggestions to use liquid handling robots and multi-well plates as alternatives to more complex microfluidics approaches.

• Alternative input methods for mobile devices were extensively discussed, including Morse code using accelerometers, eye tracking with phone cameras, chorded keyboards like the Twiddler, and wearable solutions like belt-mounted keyboards.

• Consumer EEG devices (Neurosky, Emotiv Epoc) were criticized as "overhyped," with some participants mentioning their work reverse-engineering these protocols, reflecting skepticism about current consumer brain-computer interfaces.

• A community mesh network project in East Oakland was described, using repurposed satellite dishes with USB WiFi dongles as directional antennas to create resilient, decentralized communication infrastructure.

• Optical communication was proposed as an alternative to WiFi for low-bandwidth long-range links, with claims that simple systems using LEDs, transistors, and solar panels could achieve 9600 baud over several miles.

• Self-experimentation (N=1) was debated as a scientific methodology, with some arguing for its value in personal optimization despite statistical limitations, particularly for nootropics and sleep research.

• The relationship between carbohydrate metabolism and sleep was discussed, referencing studies showing glycolytic inhibition affects sleep-wake states and noting complex interactions with melatonin and cortisol cycles.