Skip to content

Aerospace Badge Showcase

Examines the design, RF capabilities, and satellite tracking puzzles incorporated into the DEF CON 30 Aerospace Badge.

Summary

Silk interviews the hardware designers of the custom electronic badge created for the DEF CON 30 Aerospace Village, examining the engineering, aesthetics, and puzzle mechanics integrated into the design.

[01:03] The badge designer details the creative process and iterations behind the PCB, which is modeled after the Space Shuttle and features five functional ports, custom silkscreen layer art, and an authentic "Remove Before Flight" fabric lanyard ribbon [03:16].

[04:20] The discussion explores the interactive hardware hacking challenges embedded into the board. The designer reveals that attendees must inspect the circuit schematic, physically cut specific traces, and solder custom jumper bridges to unlock hidden modes and illuminate interactive warning indicators, turning the badge into a hands-on electronic training device.

(AI summary — Gemini Flash)

Related talks