Honey I Shrunk The Device

Digital Innovations in Oil and Gas with Geoffrey Cann

In the world of oil and gas operations, edge devices are mission-critical. These compact, intelligent sensors operate in the most extreme of environments, such as remote drill sites, deep wells, and hostile landscapes, where they continuously collect operational data. Best in class operators don't just throw digital at the field. They prioritize efficiency, reliability, and integrity at the edge, where human oversight is limited, infrequent, and mostly absent.

But the drive to digitize oilfield infrastructure raises major challenges: reliable power, cyber threats, temperature extremes, and real-time decision-making without cloud access. David Smith, VP of Innovation at Black Pearl Technology, shares how his team builds micro-powered, field-tough sensors that handle pre-processing on-site, sip power in microamps, and run mission-critical code on the edge to avoid failures.

MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) is enabling a new era of industrial sensing, complete with cyber-safe hardware that controls every component. Innovation must always serve a real-world problem—not just be a shiny gadget. From strain gauges to AI-at-the-edge, David offers an inside look into the future of smarter, safer, and smaller industrial tech.

👤 About the Guest:

David Smith is Vice President of Innovation and co-founder at Black Pearl Technology, where he leads the development of ruggedized, ultra-efficient sensing devices for industrial and energy sectors. With a background spanning biomedical, aerospace, and energy tech, David brings decades of experience in building purpose-driven edge innovations that survive the toughest conditions on earth.

💼 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/techpirate/

🔗 Black Pearl Technology Website

🛠️ Additional Tools & Resources:

• 🎛️ Go backstage and check out my studio: https://geoffreycann.com/mystudio

• 🧠 Take my one day digital strategy training course for oil and gas: https://www.udemy.com/course/digital-oil-and-gas

🤝 Connect with Me:

• 🧾 Resources: https://geoffreycann.com/resources

• 📚 Blog: https://digitaloilgas.substack.com

• 🎧 Podcast: https://geoffreycann.com/broadcast

• 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/advocate-digital-innovation-for-energy

• 🐦 X: https://x.com/geoffreycann

🎤 Contact for Lectures and Keynotes:

I speak regularly on these and other topics. Contact me to book a call for your upcoming event:

👉 https://geoffreycann.com/contact

⚠️ Disclaimer:

The views expressed in this podcast are my own and do not constitute professional advice.