Integrating Microcontrollers with ETC Systems

I recently came across an interesting article about microcontrollers and their role in modern electronics. For those interested, you can read the article here: Microcontrollers: The Brain of Modern Electronics.

This got me thinking about how we might integrate microcontrollers into our work with ETC systems. Has anyone here experimented with using microcontrollers to enhance or extend the functionality of ETC equipment? For example, using a microcontroller to automate certain tasks or to create custom control interfaces?