Rails Rescue is my web development agency using Ruby on Rails and related technologies to create web applications for startups and established firms.As owner of Rails Rescue I locate and qualify clients, assist them to scope and specify their project, attend to the important details of the user experience provided, write and test code for the project, locate and supervise additional developers for larger projects, and generally make sure that the client is happy with both the progress and the result of the project.For many clients I have done "rescue" projects, either adding features or fixing problems left by other developers, or taking over unfinished projects.

Automated Enterprises provided custom desktop software to engineering companies large and small, including Qualcomm, AT&T, General Atomics, and L-3 Communications. Typically the desktop program communicated with an embedded system of some sort, a medical device, a toy, a military radio, and the like.

During the period I was there HNC Software supplied neural network tools and training for solving real-world problems.I applied neural network theory to image compression, signal processing, and knowledge extraction from databases. I directed and taught training courses on neural network theory and applications and the use of HNC's neural network hardware accelerators and created attention-getting demonstrations, including a face recognizer, a handwritten signature fraud detector, and an image compression engine.

Optigraphics created the first large format document scanner and a workstation for turning scanned blueprints and engineering drawings into CAD files.I created algorithms for raster to vector conversion and character recognition of hand-lettered text, implemented advanced image compression techniques in software, including CCITT Groups III and IV, and created algorithms for real-time image enhancement during scans to improve the results for dirty, stained, or faded originals, with consistently superior results. I also created a software interface to custom hardware for real-time pan/zoom. My work was done in C and Pascal on Unix and DOS-based systems.

While working as a consultant to SDG, created and marketed SUPERTREE, a comprehensive decision tree software package written in APL that was subsequently acquired by SDG. After joining the firm, assisted a major energy company with R&D planning and evaluation using decision and risk analysis techniques. Analyzed the reliability of a reactor crack detection device for a nuclear research firm with probabilistic models.