Emery Premeaux    (a.k.a. MRE)

Citizenship : USA

Date of birth : 09 February, 1977

Chief of Hardware Engineering : VPC-Asia

Chairman : Tokyo HackerSpace

Objective

I am seeking a position applying embedded technologies, mechatronics, and sensor systems to solve unique and challenging problems. I am particularly interested in Education and Green applications.

Certification

• Arizona State Board of Education - provisional instructor: Industrial Arts and Technology (expired)
• ETA-I - Registered Test Proctor for Tokyo, Japan (expired)

Published

Author - Apress Publishing “Arduino Projects to Save the World”

• Features basic techniques of Arduino data aquisition, covering ADC (Analog to Digital Conversion), rechargible and solar power systems, XBEE and 802.11.4 communications, and data  logging and visualization via Processing
• projects include: Temperature array, a portable battery and solar powered data logger box, utilizing Pachube (no Cosm), Seismometer, and a household current meter

co-author - "Wind Tunnel Testing of a Lift-Augmented Quadcopter"

In this paper, we discuss the wind tunnel testing of a new VTOL aircraft configuration - namely the lift-augmented quadcopter (LAQ). We conducted a series of demonstration free-flights as well as a series of tests within a full scale JAXA wind-tunnel. My work on the project was primarly focused on sensing, measurement and data logging, as well as a wire-powered source that allowed for long duration testing without the need to exchange vehicle batteries.

I created an innovative methodology using strain gauges applied to the root of the wing spar to calculate generated lift. This was integrated with propulsion power measurements to determine over-all efficiency gains. Due to the highly constrained space within the vehicle, as well as the need to integrate external sensors, all measurment and telemetry hardware was custom built, along with writing my own logging and plotting software.

co-author - "Additional Wind Tunnel Testing of a Lift-Augmented Quadcopter"

In this paper, we optomized aerodynamics of the body design (blended body) of the previous  VTOL aircraft configuration - namely the lift-augmented quadcopter (LAQ). A new blended body overlay was built using 3D printing, configured to mate smoothly with the exisitng wing sets. We conducted a series of tests within a full scale JAXA wind-tunnel. My work on the project was primarly focused on sensing, measurement and data logging, as well as a wire-powered source that allowed for long duration testing without the need to exchange vehicle batteries.

Expanding on the original sensor system, I created a "DAQ box" that could be mounted to the wind tunnel sting arm, which expanded the variety of sensors and automated test proceedures we could run. This box ran linux internally, allowing us to run a variety of test scripts, as and sensor configurations with ease. I modified the custom software from the previous testing to enable remote operation of this DAQ box.

co-author - "A Propeller Evaluation and Selection Tool for Multicopter and VTOL Design"

Along with the emergence of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft arose the need to predict propeller performance, namely thrust and power, at unconventional free stream angles. For cases where this angle is either 0° (hover) or 90° (forward flight), it is not difficult to estimate the performance. However, in the case of long-range eVTOLs, where the free stream angle is usually in between these angles, the propeller behaves differently. Blade element theory (BET) models can account for this but are impractical due to their large number of geometric parameters. As a substitute, we present an empirical model built on wind tunnel data that uses only propeller diameter and pitch to define the geometry, while capturing the effects of free stream angle on thrust and power.

My work on this project can be seen as an extension of the above papers; namely that of how to measure and collect the data during the experiment. As an extension to the work performed in "Additional Wind Tunnel Testing of a Lift-Augmented Quadcopter", I produced a custom test sequence (script) and sensing hardware to automate the collection of hardware at each given pitch angle.

In the press

• Hack A Day: My project "Tokyo HackerSpace Membership Payment Box" was posted to hackaday (3/13/2014)
• NHK: Tokyo Hackerspaceに行ってきたゼ！ ～Arduino入門講座にリベンジを誓う編 A Japanese student recounts his experience attending my Arduino 101 class, as well as Make Japan 2012
• Japan Times: Hacking for a safer world Documents some of our projects in response to the earthquake and tsunami
• Majirox News: Tokyo Hackerspace Gets the Data A visit to THS, with an extensive interview of the Safecast crew during the early days
• Dangerous Prototypes Blog: Tokyo Hackerspace at Make meeting day 1 Ian begins his documenting of an early MAKE event in Tokyo

Key Skills

Proficient or competent in a wide variety of technical fields required for systems design, fabrication and deployment:

Education

2006 Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering and Communications Technology ITT Technical Institute, Tucson, Arizona

Team Leader -ITTROV: Shallow depth inspection class submersable vehicle, ITT Technical Institute June, 2006

• PIC16F877 main-board / Motor H-bridge designer, mentored team member on point to point assembly
• PIC16F877 programmer using PICBasic

2004 Associates of Applied Science in Electronical Engineering Technology ITT Technical Institute, Tucson, Arizona

Societies and Memberships

ETA-I: Testing Proctor

National Technical Honors Society: Honorary Member

Tokyo HackerSpace: Founding Member, Chairman, Instructor

Event Organizer

• Tokyo MakerCamp - April 12, 2014, Team Leader
• Hakushun: Summer Fun - June 28, 2014, Team Leader

Presentations, classes and seminars

I teach recurring lessons at Tokyo Hackerspace, in topics such as Arduino, Electronics 101, Window farms, and welding.

2/2014 - Participant in Race for Resilience at Tokyo University. I was on the Community Radio Transmitter team.

12/2013: Presentor Saitama City Board of Education - Crazy Suggestions! - an engaging and enjoyable card game I designed to help students express ideas and suggestions for various situations. The game puts focus on creative validations for wacky and seemingly unconnected situation-advice pairs. This enhances student's abilities to speak freely and openly in the future.

3/2012: Presentor JALT Omiya - Daiso classroom - using unusual items found at Daiso and 100 yen shops to build affective games for students. This presentation also put focus on a game I designed called "Build a Town". The presentation was published in the SaitamaCityEducators Journal, Volume 2, issue 2.

2009: Presentor Saitama City Board of Education - Preparing students for speech contests: What we can and can not do.

 

Activities and Interests

Embedded: Arduino, environmental sensor networks, mechatronics, robotics

Web: Pachube, Drupal, Wordpress, ZenCart

Hobbies: electronics, leatherwork, Geocaching, fencing, metal work  

 

Professional Experience

Chief of Hardware Engineering, VPC-Asia, Setagaya Tokyo, June 2021 - present

VPC-Asia is a virtualization and IoT company specializing in business to business applications. As C.H.E. I am responsible for all electronics and mechanical design of the IoT side of the business. 

Research and Development Engineer, Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory, Chiba University, July 2014 - June 2021

ACSL prototypes, designs, builds and tests autonomous aerial vehicles for non-military industrial and government applications. We work exensively with SLAM navigation using LIDAR, sonar, camera and Inertial Measurement Unit sensors. As a small university funded lab and company, all R&D staff perform multiple roles. Mine include:

• Electronics - design schematics and PCB artwork for power supplies, electric motor control, vehicle auto-pilot, and control/interface electronics for customer specific applications
• Data Acquisition  -  specify, design and build automated ground and aeiral testing systems for measuring all mechanical and electrical parameters governing vehicle performance, safety and structural integrity

Chairman and Instructor, Tokyo HackerSpace, 2008 - Present

• Chairman - plan, organize and lead the hackerspace
• Accounting - Membership and finances accounting, including design and maintenance of accounting systems
• Instructor - teach lessons on: safety procedures, how to use all equipment and tools, Introduction to Arduino and coding, Introduction to Electronics

Native English Teacher, Tokyo and Saitama November, 2006 - July 2014

• Lead Instructor - Plan and present unique English lessons in Junior High-Schools
• Private Instructor - Plan tailored lessons to individual students of all ages
• Technical Instructor - Present lessons in Business, Medical and Technology English
• Instructor Trainer - Assist in training other instructors

MOSWELL, Yokohama July, 2008 - October 2008 Engineer, English Sales Representative

• Electronics - Designed interface cabling for a Machine Vision Camera test stand
• Software - Redesign and recoded a high end security camera On Screen Display
• R&D - Security Camera Pan, Tilt, Zoom system; Train cab DVR
• Sales - Production of English promotional materials such as Catalog, Spec Sheets and Presentations

Freelance / Contract Technician, Tucson Arizona November, 2004 - October, 2006

• Electronics - Technical maintenance of arcade, casino and entertainment systems
• Electronics - Technical installation and maintenance of EEG systems utilized in Sleep Studies
• Software - Designed an Inventory and Sales Database using Access and Visual Studio

Caterpillar Proving Grounds, Tucson Arizona April, 2004 - November, 2004 Instrumentation Technician

• Sensors - Installed Strain Gauges, Pressure transducers, Yo-Yos, Thermocouples, Emissions detectors, rotation sensors and Engine Management Data Interfaces
• Data Acquisition - Installed EDAQ and DAQBook data collection devices, set calibrations and prepared hardware for engineering runs
• Training - Produced a users manual and training kit for Emissions Detection Systems

Solar Industries, Inc, Tucson Arizona April, 2003 - April, 2004 Automation Engineer / Maintenance Technician

• Industrial Automation - Programming and Maintenance of factory CNC and Robotic machinery
• Industrial Automation - PLCs, Servo Amplifiers, Thermal Control Hardware, Sensors and Actuators
• Software - Wrote and deployed a trouble ticket system using Access and Visual Studio. This system cut maintanace response time, as the building managers no long had to leave their post to report an issue. We found that issues that normally went unreported until failure were reported more frequently, reducing long term maintance costs.
• Engineering - Assisted in the spec and design of custom machinery
• Machinery Fabrication - Assisted with the design and fabrication and retrofitting of custom machinery - welding, plasma cutting, milling and lathe work
• General Maintenance - Large volume compressors, forklifts, presses, saws, plumbing, network cabling, industrial wiring circuits up to 480VAC 100 Amps

Desert Diamond Casino , March 2001 - March, 2003 Slot Technician - grade 2

• Electronics - General maintenance and repair of 500 slot machines and associated equipment
• Electronics - Test stand design and fabrication for Bill Acceptor Optics and Electromechanical tests
• Networking - Assisted in the planning and execution of replacement of IGT SMART data system to Bally's Slot Data System

Chuck E Cheese's April, 1999 - March 2001 Technical Manager

• Electronics - Troubleshoot and repair damaged game boards to component level, electro-mechanical
• devices, and animatronics
• General Maintenance - repair or call out for service on all restaurant equipment, plumbing, and air management systems
• Trainer - instruct junior cast members in general game repair, customer service, and restaurant operations
• Manager - conducted interviews for junior positions, supply inventory and shift manager twice per week