James Cross
Personal Details not available on website
PERSONAL STATEMENT
I like fixing things, designing things, creating things and making things. My unusually broad background, range of skills and experience enables me to fit into a wide range of engineering situations. Key skills cover real-world electronic hardware and mechanical design, right through to the virtual-world of software at all levels. My real-world experience has seen all of these skills tried and tested at industry level – and my infectious enthusiasm is always growing and shows in my work. My professional career has been 40%:60% academic research and industry experience, making me ideally suited to development of new and novel ideas for bleeding-edge research and development – coupled with the know-how and experience to take ideas into full production.
Examples of my portfolio and a video interview of some of my defence related works is available at http://www.jcross.co.uk/
CAREER & EDUCATION HISTORY
------------------------------------------ 2007 – Present ------------------------------------------
The research manager role is a position in Scyron that came out of earlier work as a Rapid Application Development consultant. Initially work was focussed around technology support for video evidence processing using machine vision techniques, as time progressed my role was found more in expanding the portfolio to cover all types of digital evidence from recovery to presentation by managing and specifying an evolving framework which is used as the core technology. This involves continually evaluating designs and new ideas to meet the rapidly changing needs of the customers. The key to this is developing fully-functional proof-of-concept prototypes and effectively demonstrating their effectiveness.
Key Achievements:
· Building and evaluating new ways to present and handle complex data in the domain of digital evidence preparation and presentation.
· Management of projects from inception through pilot studies, refinement, expansion development and large scale delivery.
· Responsible for DEMON manager, Present, Body Worn Video manager products over the complete product lifecycle.
Key Skills Gained:
· Business process analysis and tweaking, use case identification, design specification, development testing and user acceptance testing.
· Extensive .NET development VB and C# with some MFC.
· Rapid Application Development to support fully-functional proof-of-concepts.
· Using Microsoft Visual Studio Team Edition, bug tracker, subversion source control.
· Enterprise level scalable methodologies – i.e. Police force-wide deployment.
· Technologies developed include DVD data and video burning, Google maps and other GIS based online mapping technologies, video processing, Microsoft Office integration, Active Directory, Click-Once deployment, intelligent configuration and self-adaption, SQL database back end development, XML serialisation, TCP/IP Client-Server and Webservices.
------------------------------------------2003 - 2007------------------------------------------
Research Fellow – The University of Birmingham – http://www.bham.ac.uk – Birmingham, UK (60% Hardware Based)
Previous work involving the development of wearable computing technology for field work concentrated mainly around the hardware – but HFI then becomes the next biggest problem. This is a complex area where the competing attentional demands on the end users is tricky. Much of the work focuses around the best way to provide contextual information to the user whilst minimising distraction from their primary task. This work involved Rapid Application Development of proof of concepts, continual studies and evaluation of the results to drive the design of in-field information systems. This work shares its roots with aircraft head-up-display systems – where situational awareness needs to be communicated to the pilot whilst his primary concern is the real-world around him.
Areas Covered:
· User interface design – including novel interaction techniques – haptic feedback etc
· Display technologies, Head Mounted Displays – Audible display technologies.
· Hands free operation
· User contextual awareness (to minimize physical interaction)
· Usability on the move / task domain switching from near (computer) to far (real world)
· Human factors evaluation
· GIS / GPS – location sensing even in doors – dead reckoning etc.
· Worked with large organisations - Lockheed Martin, Aerosystems Int, QinetiQ, General Dynamics and others to produce compelling technology demonstrations to support further work.
Key Skills Gained:
· Extensive RAD software development of novel technologies to support research into the Human Factors requirements for defence related activities – particularly wearable computing.
· Development of the wearable computing hardware platform.
· Embedded system design – rugged and reliable super power efficient systems design including development and testing of the power systems / and the core PC/104 Pentium-M PC architecture.
· 16 layer PCB design and testing using surface mount technology to very stringent quality levels (boards manufactured off site due to the complexity) – Designs using CAD Proteus VSM and Mentor Graphics.
· Microcontroller prototype development using Assembly language and Ansi-C using CAN-BUS, I2C, Ethernet, WiFi, 433MHz RF circuits and developing customized USB devices for sensing and testing.
· Extensive Mechanical design including CAD and virtual modelling right down to producing complex prototypes out of exotic materials using CNC.
· Hundreds of hours of mechanical workshop time using milling, lathe, CNC, good old fashioned hands-on nuts, bolts and bearings engineering.
· High-power mechatronics design for simulation systems such as the Dillon Mini Gun simulator.
· Software design of custom hardware drivers, microcontroller firmware and UI software development.
------------------------------------------2002 – 2008 ------------------------------------------
Involved in the company’s creation – I was acting as a part time consultant whilst working on the completion of my doctorate – this provided a welcome change enabling me to develop skills in industry as well as my academic career. I was initially brought on board for my skills in developing embedded systems to build the custom platform on which Scyron’s early vision-processing based software could run. This role increasingly became more demanding as the company grew meaning that eventually I had to take up a somewhat privileged full-time position. I would say that this experience has proved extremely valuable in helping me develop skills for business, project management and communicating effectively and enthusiastically with people from shop floor to top level management.
Key Skills:
· Embedded Hardware design
· PCB design
· Designing for reliability and mass production
· Failure mode and effect analysis, self diagnosis – limited operation strategy appreciation.
· Effective communication between customers and the business leading to feedback into design refinement
· Thermal design analysis – extensive work in this area – power management.
· Electro-Magnetic-Compatibility testing, design and rework to meet or exceed CE requirements.
------------------------------------------ < 2003 ------------------------------------------
1998 - 1999 Avery Berkel (now Salter) Birmingham UK (100% Hardware Development)
Hardware Design
· Two separate placements during degree study totalling 7 months working on supporting existing products, and development of new products and ideas.
· Invited back for a second placement the following year.
· Testing and Development of self-diagnostic systems for thermal printers. Embedded Ansi C, Assembly and C++ (Win 32) development.
· Used source control, CAD and also gained experience of EMC and product certification. Got involved in everything I could.
·
2000 - 2003 University of Birmingham Birmingham UK
Course Support, Teaching and Presenting
· Supported various courses with labs as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, as well as hosted many tutorial classes.
· Working closely with students, marking, support and teaching, classes of various sizes.
· Addressed large audiences at conferences, feel comfortable presenting my own and others work.
SUMMARY QUALIFICATIONS
Academic
· PhD – Doctoral in Wearable Computing (Engineering)
· M-Eng – Electronics and Electrical Engineering (2:1)
· 3 A-Levels Maths Physics and Computing
· 9 GCSE’s Including Maths (B) and English (B)
Non Academic
· Full UK Driving License
· JAR Pilots License
Professional Membership
· Institute of Technology (MIEE)
Publication List
PERSONAL INTERESTS
I have always had a deep interest in all aspect of technology. My parents provided me with an unusually rich set of skills – one from Rolls Royce (Mechanical Engineering) and one from a computer related discipline. It seemed logical that my enthusiasm would lie in the place where these two skill sets meet. I have spent far too much time in my past repairing and rebuilding anything from engines to complete cars even before I held a driving license, including fabrication of new or adapted parts. As technology progressed I particularly found avionics and automotive electrical systems increasingly interesting and have now earned myself the reputation as the person to talk to about diagnosing and fixing engine management and electrical gremlin finding, including reverse-engineering.
In my spare time I own and fly a light aircraft which is based out of Derby Airfield – and have ample opportunity to get involved in aircraft and avionics installation and diagnosis. When the weather is not up to flying the full size aircraft I can often be found flying models from very fast high-powered electric models to large helicopters – I like the latter because they are very complicated and challenging to set up and fly.
Most of my personal interests are not exactly relaxing; thankfully I really relax when sailing – even then there is always something that can be improved on.
REFERENCES
Not available from website!