Designing custom holographic optics and supporting holographic optics manufacturing.

DepthSight Innovations LLC turns concepts into reality! DepthSight uses engineering research and design in areas such as optics, holography, electronics, robotics, mechanical design, and more to fabricate ideas that haven't been previously realized. Elroy Pearson, the founder and chief innovator, has 20 years R&D experience working in areas ranging from custom holographic optics to microfluidics, detection, & automation for life sciences as well as innovative characterization of optics for cell phones.

Operating metrology laboratory to provide measurement and inspection services to many internal organizations. Providing incoming quality control (IQC) support as well as consulting on measurement challenges for R&D. Inspection techniques and technology include standard and smart microscopes; structured light imaging; variable focus, 3D micro-coordinate microscopy; optical comparators, white-light interferometry; scanning electron microscopy; cross-sectioning; physical contact metrology; and other measurement solutions.

Daily taught 140 students conceptual physics and astronomy. Created and implemented lesson plans, tests, and labs.

Contributed to R&D team and Advanced Manufacturing Engineering team efforts to drive to manufacturable design for innovative cell phone optical module. Designed and built thin film inspection station which enabled qualitative analysis of system critical membranes. Used SolidWorks and CNC Mill. Managed installation of optics lab thus creating space for developing optical measurement tools for characterizing the optical module. As the project manager for the motor portion of the module, coordinated part and tool designs and began communicating with factory to enable high volume manufacturing.

Made prototype devices to enable high-risk, high-return pharmaceutical research. Devices included optical and electronic sensors and microfluidics. Enhanced digital microfluidic device development using microfabrication techniques and tools such as thin film deposition, photolithography, plasma and wet etching, CMP, and CVD deposition. Developed halide evaporative deposition process onto plastic and then helped source roll-to-roll evaporative coating vendors. Collaborated on prototyping automated and robotic equipment by programming robotic devices in LabVIEW and scripting languages, building breadboard circuits, designing parts in SolidWorks, and assembling systems. Worked with internal scientists and engineers to develop microfluidic sensors for working with nanoliter volumes of samples. Made prototype system for determining protein concentration by probing less than 1 nanoliter of solution. Prototyped sensor for detecting the speed of sub millimeter particles travelling at >150 m/s. Maintained all cleanroom equipment including air handling systems, plasma etcher, electron beam evaporator, sputter coater, UV aligner, barrel asher, white light interferometer, CMP, dicing saw, and CVD deposition equipment for fluorinated coatings and parylene.

Developed prototype systems for pharmaceutical research, medical device research, and diagnostics. Maintained and operated our microfab cleanroom, fabricated microfluidic devices, built electronics circuits, programmed robots, and optimized lighting sytems.

- Wrote Holographic Optical Element (HOE) modeling tools based on Kogelnik Coupled Wave Theory that enabled quick turnaround of in-depth design work and critical analysis of prototypes. - Brought to the company new potential clients and business opportunities worth millions of dollars.- Advanced relationships with high profile clients through rapid prototyping – on multiple occasions making prototypes for shipment in less than 1 week.

- Effectively communicated with all groups within the company to solve challenging system problems on the holographic data storage drives. - Quickly adapted to the needs of the company by accepting challenging tasks such as performing media storage lifetime tests, troubleshooting many drives simultaneously to discover and fix problems, and analyzing scattered light in the drive using TracePro. - Redesigned and upgraded precision optical wedge test equipment – used optical analysis, drew designs in CAD software, machined parts with mill and lathe, and programmed computer/stage/camera interface to accomplish the goal in a matter of weeks.

-Designed and fabricated holographic diffraction gratings for customers. -Designed and implemented trade show booth and product literature. -Integrated grating modeling tool with quotation tool vastly improving quotation efficiency. -Managed technology development program for the last half of a NASA SBIR II grant. -Designed and programmed Hartmann wavefront sensor software in C#. -Sourced parts for and built a laser diode power supply. -Supported sales staff as a sales engineer. -Interfaced with many customers and suppliers on the telephone, at trade shows, and on location. -Designed and fabricated custom optical mounts for custom setups. -Jointly invented patented design for key product. -Aligned optics for new holographic products. -Supported production and research and development staffs. -Wrote SBIR grant proposal.

-Designed new products. -Fabricated diffraction gratings and other components using lithography and holography. -Etched components using ion etching and chemical bath etching. -Interacted with customers. -Performed measurements with AFM, electron microscope, optical microscopes, and profilometer. -Wrote SBIR grant proposal.

-Designed and fabricated diffractive fringe writer and step and repeat hologram exposer for senior project. -Conducted experiments for photopolymers for research paper. -Characterized holographic optical elements.