Corey Axelowitz has contributed to many groundbreaking design innovations, from the two-pound 12” MacBook to Plano AI’s early wildfire detection cameras that meld computer vision and modern hardware.
He also played a pivotal role in the 10-month-to-mass-production development cycle for the huupe mini—the world’s first smart mini-basketball-hoop game console that allows real-time multiplayer games to happen around the world.
Recently, Axelowitz launched the Axel Hardware Design consultancy, which puts advanced electrical engineering equipment, technologies, and know-how—along with a full laboratory—within reach of startups and other companies.
And? He’s one of Computing’s Top 30 Early Career Professionals for 2024. In the following Q&A, Axelowitz describes
- The challenges of being lead system engineer on the Mac Pro and the “badass” tower they ultimately developed
- How his team approached getting the 12-inch MacBook to weigh in at approximately two pounds, which required innovation in practically every subsystem
- The need for both engineering and operational excellence to meet the punishing 10-month deadline to mass produce the huuge mini
- How Pano AI’s innovative wildfire detection cameras are being used both in early detection and fighting wildfires today
You established and founded Axel Hardware Design, LLC. Can you share the vision behind starting your own hardware design and electrical engineering consulting practice, as well as some of the most rewarding projects that you’ve worked on?
The vision for Axel Hardware Design is an electrical engineering consultancy that companies of all sizes (mostly startups) can utilize as an extension of their engineering internal division. Electrical engineering includes so many technical specialties and specialized equipment that it’s hard for a small company to develop. Therefore, they can come to Axel Hardware Design and get access to multiple electrical engineering domains—such as power, RF, signal integrity, and PCB design—and a full laboratory.
As the lead system engineer for the Mac Pro’s current form factor and architecture, what were some of the key challenges you faced during the development process, and how did you overcome them?
I had the privilege of being lead system engineer of the Mac Pro. We had the goal of designing a Mac that would be able to use PCIe cards again and, with that in mind, we designed a badass tower with a 32-core Xenon processor, 1.5TB DDR4 (that ran at 2,933 MHz DCDS, an industry first), and 4x dual-wide GPU cards!
You were the hardware design engineer for the innovative 12” MacBook. What were the main design goals for this project, and how did you achieve the balance between portability and performance?
The 12” MacBook was a revolutionary product, and I was lucky enough to start my design career as a hardware design engineer on that project. To get a full-function laptop at two pounds took innovation in every subsystem from battery, speaker, antenna, display, and everything else. To be part of that experience allowed me to learn so much. During that time, I ended up making several flexible printed circuit boards and owning the very first USB-C PCB.
At huupe, you executed the huupe mini into mass production within 10 months. Can you discuss the rapid development process and the strategies you used to ensure a successful market launch?
A 10-month development cycle to mass production is extremely challenging; to achieve it, you need to have engineering and operational excellence. You need to ramp up the factory operations at the same time as fixing design issues. Following a true Product Development Process (PDP) is key: Proto, EVT, DVT, PVT.
Leading the hardware architecture for Pano AI’s wildfire early detection technology is a significant achievement. How does this technology work, and what impact has it had on wildfire risk mitigation?
Sonia [Kastner], the founder of Pano AI, approached me with the idea of putting cameras into the wilderness to fuse computer vision and modern hardware to help fight wildfires. I developed a camera-based wildfire detection system that uses proprietary computer vision models to detect wildfire smoke above the forest canopy. This technology allows for early detection of fires, allowing firefighters and emergency services to respond faster and more effectively. As well, the fire-fighting community uses the Pano system to deliver situational awareness with live panoramic imagery and fire intelligence, helping agencies make informed decisions on evacuations and resource deployment.
As the hardware architect for Displace TV, which won the Best of CES 2023 award, what were the innovative features that set this wireless television apart from others in the market?
CES 2023 was an incredible experience to be part of; having Displace capture the imagination of everyone at CES was a surreal experience. Every day of CES, more and more articles came out highlighting Displace—the world’s first wireless TV.
When Balaji [Krishnan], the founder of Displace, approached me, he came with a grand idea for a piece of hardware that would just stick to the wall, battery powered and no remote—and designing the battery power and no remote using hand-gesture computer vision.
You contributed to the development of the USB Type-C Power Delivery (PD) 1.1 specification. How did your contributions enhance industry standards for PD and connectivity across devices?
When building the 12” MacBook, I fell into being directly responsible for the USB-C circuit board. The 12” MacBook USB-C was the very first USB-C full-function host device, which allowed me to be involved in some critical designs that directly impacted the development of USB-C. I was able to go to the first USB-C plug fest where the PD specification was tested and developed.
Bio: Corey Axelowitz
Corey Axelowitz is the founder of Axel Hardware Design, a consultancy specializing in consumer electronics for a range of clients, including Pano AI, Ambient Life, Displace, and Huupe. He brings a deep background in electrical engineering for computer and IoT products, backed by over seven years of experience at Apple. Axelowitz holds 12 granted patents, reflecting a strong commitment to innovation. He earned a dual bachelor of science degree in electrical and computer engineering from Northeastern University.
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Over the next few months, Tech News will highlight different Top 30 honorees each week. For a full list, see Computing’s Top 30 Early Career Professionals for 2024.
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