I like systems and automation, so in my personal time I’ve put together some computer-based tools and systems over the years to that end. I’ve been working my way through a self-directed computer science education, and these serve as both the motivation for – and application of – that learning process. Several of these programs or systems relate to some kind of data organization (for example, the Media Offload Tool and the Tiered Backup Strategy). I’ve always enjoyed organizing information and creating order from disarray.
When I was a kid, it was meticulously maintaining my music collection in Windows Media Player, loading in all the right album art, release date, and other metadata. I also remember collecting performance specs on all my favorite cars and cataloging cool pictures in an organized folder structure. In high school, I did the same with my skateboard videos and pictures.
As part of the Wreck Racing team at Georgia Tech, I collected the scattered repositories of previous club documents, CAD models, workday and event pictures, etc. into a central database, integrated with the current and ongoing data being generated. To keep things organized and safe in the future, this directory structure was transferred from the shop computer to university-maintained servers.
When I worked for the HScott Motorsports NASCAR team, the 51 team was basically starting over from scratch with no historical documentation or database. I created and maintained a system, to house the team’s race weekend records, setup specs, simulation runs, track data, parts database, inspection measurements, etc.
At my current job, I’ve led the development of our vehicle software validation, documentation, and release/revision standards. Electric and EFI powertrain control systems play a significant role in vehicle safety and performance, so these standards are essential to proper due diligence.
I continue to gain experience with small embedded electronics, security/privacy-oriented tools, and contributing to larger free/open-source projects.