El Peacetolero is a portable embedded system developed to analyze and detect the aging of industrial polymers in a non-destructive manner. The objective is to replace traditional laboratory-based analysis with a real-time, on-site diagnostic tool capable of operating in constrained and harsh environments such as nuclear facilities.

The system relies on infrared optical sensing to probe the material’s spectral response. By analyzing how polymers interact with specific wavelengths of light, it becomes possible to extract signatures related to material composition and degradation state. This approach enables both identification of the polymer type and estimation of its aging level without altering or damaging the sample.

From a hardware perspective, the device integrates a complete optoelectronic acquisition chain, including the optical measurement head and a dedicated cooling system to ensure stability and repeatability of measurements under demanding conditions. The design also includes controlled light sources, photodetection, analog front-end electronics, and high-resolution data acquisition, with strong emphasis on signal integrity and robustness under radiation.

I was responsible for designing and building the embedded system electronics, including both hardware and firmware, ensuring reliable real-time acquisition and processing. This work directly contributed to the validation of European project work packages, requiring traceable performance and compliance with defined technical objectives. The development was carried out in close collaboration with several European project partners and colleagues, within a multidisciplinary and international environment.

On the software side, embedded AI techniques are deployed directly on the device (TinyML approach), enabling real-time inference without reliance on external computation. Signal processing and machine learning models are used to interpret spectral data and provide reliable classification and aging assessment.

The development covered the full stack: hardware design and validation, driver development, real-time data acquisition, signal processing pipelines, and AI model integration. The system was designed with modularity and scalability in mind, supporting multiple communication interfaces (SPI, UART, RS485, CAN) and integration with higher-level monitoring systems.

El Peacetolero demonstrates the convergence of optoelectronics, embedded systems, and on-device intelligence to deliver a practical solution for industrial inspection, predictive maintenance, and material diagnostics.

Keywords: Embedded Systems, Optoelectronics, Infrared Sensing, Non-Destructive Testing, TinyML, Signal Processing, STM32MP1, Industrial Diagnostics