Innovative Use of Elixir and Nerves to Modernize a Vintage Telephone

Bryan Green's presentation at ElixirConf US 2024 dives into a fascinating project where he transforms a vintage rotary dial MonoPhone into a fully functional cellphone with the help of Elixir and Nerves. The talk covers the challenges faced in hardware-software integration while highlighting how Elixir's capabilities in managing physical devices made it an ideal choice for the project. The presentation particularly emphasizes the advantages of using Nerves for embedded systems, such as over-the-air software updates, which greatly enhance project maintenance. Green also discusses how Elixir’s functional programming model allows for effective state management in ensuring the MonoPhone behaves like both a traditional telephone and a modern cellphone. He shares potential future applications stemming from this project, such as home automation and security systems, and aims to inspire others in the Elixir community to leverage these innovative technologies in their own work. The session promises valuable insights into using Elixir’s concurrency tools for practical applications beyond just web development.