This year marks the 5th anniversary of the EBU RadioHack event, a set of freeform workshops where developers, engineers and anyone interested in radio can experiment with the newest tools and techniques in digital and hybrid radio. The workshops are designed to have an informal, relaxed atmosphere, allowing participants to develop new ideas for tools and services and to start building them immediately.
As mentioned during the pitch session, “There is no competition. You are encouraged to collaborate, take time, discuss, make contacts, and most of all… create!”
Since last year, a lot of work has taken place. Delegates presented their latest developments to the group and announced what they would try to achieve during this year’s event. Some of the main topics included: SDK for receivers, open DAB transmission, creating an extension to allow geo-location (using a query to get a list of available stations in that region), hybrid and content radio, visual production and more!
Other projects presented included work on service following, DAB transmission with ARM devices, automated chaptering of radio programming, odr-mmbtools and a software defined digital radio receiver. For the rest of the afternoon – and well into the evening – RadioHackers shared experiences, collaborated and well, just hacked.
As the organizer, Mathias Coinchon (EBU) said, “it’s a great place to meet like-minded individuals and learn from one another.”
With nearly 50 “Hackers”, there is no doubt that many more projects will come out of this year’s meeting. Delegates will also have the opportunity to join other events, such as the Digital Radio Summit on Wednesday this week.