I’m an Emmy®-winning and Academy Award® recognized designer, roboticist, and lifelong builder of strange machines. My fascination with technology started early. By age 13, I had a full-time job after school so I could spend every paycheck on computers, synthesizers, lasers, and whatever else sparked my curiosity. I was writing assembly code, making holograms, and experimenting with anything I could get my hands on.

At Clairmont Camera, I started in lens repair but quickly moved into design. I created tools that helped shape the way film and television content is created. I invented the Image Shaker, which earned me a Scientific and Technical Academy Award®, and the Squishy Lens, which received an Emmy®. Both awards were given to me personally for contributions that had a real impact on how stories are told through the camera.

Later, at Panavision, I served two roles separated by sixteen years. First, I developed motion control systems as a systems engineer. Years later, I returned as Director of New Product Development, working on LED stages, novel cinema tools, and the intersection of real-world filmmaking and CGI. I also built a velocity-based motion control camera system that remains one of my favorite creations.

At Applied Minds, I was Director of Electro-Optics, where I worked on projects across defense, aerospace, agriculture, robotics, and simulation. I did everything from prototyping to managing complex programs. One of the highlights was developing a color night vision system, a project that pushed the boundaries of perception technology in low-light environments.

These days I’m retired from industry, but not from making things. I help out at a local fab lab, build autonomous machines, and write about design, perception, and the blurry line between machines and living systems. I’m also expanding my published tabletop RPG, writing a book about photographic perception, and contributing articles to the defense sector.

This blog is where I share the work, experiments, and ideas that keep me curious.

Squishy Lens

That is a composite lens element made of silicone sheet, silicone gel and polycarbonate sheet squished with the aid of 3 high high power motors.

Image Shaker

The Image Shaker is a variable angle wedge prism. It is two glass plates that move on axis contrary to each other under computer control.