I am a 55 year old computer programmer with 35 years experience as a systems programmer. During that time, I have programmed in over 40 languages professionally.
In the Air Force, I was a ICBM mechanic as a civilian, I started out as an electronics engineer but was so distracted by the idea of programming that I took it up full time. Consequently, I have been able to strattle the fence, one foot in software, the other in hardware. Nowhere has this been more beneficial than in the robotics world.
I've worked for NASA, writing telemetry programs for deep space probes (mariner-galileo), Continental Airlines where I wrote the first software based flight following system and the first aircraft maintenance tracking system, a number of computer manufacturers, Vista Computer Company, Randal Data Systems, Pertec Computer Corp, Contel Cado, all gone but not forgotten.
I spent six years working with Army Telemedicine exploring emerging technologies for future telemedicine and was the project manager for the Army's forward portable hospital's IT section.
Hobbies include High Powered Rocketry, robotics, and anything that has to do with advanced technology.
I have marketed two commercial robotics projects, Strabo, an HTTP based navigational/mapping tool and the Sensortrak, a board that managed 8 sensors, IR, sonar, bump switches ADCs so your basic stamp based robot could be freed up to do the important things. Sadly, I'm a much better engineer than I am a marketer. Not interested in marketing, takes time away from engineering. That and deal with non paying customers made me lose interest in the entrepreneurial side of the business.
My interest in robotics has mainly been to solve individual problems. Up to know, I've built about a half dozen robots, all which have been disassembled for parts in later robots.
Currently, I am employed by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Teaching and Learning with Technology as a Senior Programmer Analyst, writing software in support of our distance education program.