Business and Technical Accomplishments

Computer Vision Contract Work

I wrote proposals for three Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) contracts. These contracts were for development of computer vision technology. I ran a small company with 5 employees during the performance of the last two contracts, The Phase 1 SBIR for USAF's Ballistic Missile Office (BMO) started in 1986. Phase 2, also for BMO, lasted 2 years and ended July 1990. The nature of this work, although unclassified, is somewhat sensitive. Details such as contract numbers and project manager names can be provided to domestic firms, upon request.

The last SBIR was for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.
Contract amount about $40,000
Duration of six months with final report submitted July 1990
Contract Number was NAS8-38458

I came up with Stackable Rental Car (SRC) idea in 1985. I originally thought of the SRC as a way to bring many suburban riders to a commuter rail station. The original body concept had a cabin which would be invaded by the next stacking car.

In 1989 I asked the UT student engineering projects program to work on a stacking body design. A team of 3 UT mechanical engineering students designed what they called a "snap car". This design had a rigid cabin which is not invaded. Their design provided only one foot of impact absorption distance between the front bumper and the cabin firewall. Since I paid the project team for its work, they assigned all patent rights to me.

I modified their design to add fold down bumpers and a higher cabin. With fold down bumpers the new design had 6 feet of impact absorption distance.

After sending proposals to several transit authorities, Chicago's Regional Transit Authority (RTA) decided to fund a design study. The RTA requested I work with Packer Engineering of Naperville Illinois. This started in 1991 and lasted 6 months.
Though the RTA did not develop the SRC concept they did have a meeting with BART, and other transit authorities, to discuss the idea in June 1992. One result of this level of interest was an article in the Chicago Tribune

I was not active on the SRC project from 1992 to 2002. I married in 1990 and we had our first child in 1993. We have been busy, both working and taking care of children, from 1993 to present.

More technical accomplishments, along with a work history, are detailed in my resume.

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