William Spies Email & Phone Number

Denver, CO, US

Denver, CO, US

New York, NY, US

• Led three engineers in the development of robotic motion planning (Motion) service software, including directing code reviews, overseeing testing, assuring quality, and facilitating cross-functional collaboration.
• Developed, solicited feedback on, and presented roadmap for Motion evolution to senior leadership and broader organization.
• Authored tutorials on setup, configuration, and use of the Motion service aimed at prospective users of the RDK.
• Wrote C++ integration with Open Motion Planning Library (OMPL) to benchmark and compare internal motion planning algorithms.
• Managed team Kanban board in JIRA, collaborated on task prioritization with Product department, and held team accountable.

Golden, Colorado, US

• Managed collaboration between TrailerConnect (TC) and Computer Vision and Machine Learning (CVML) departments.
• Authored and supported software interfaces to industrial-grade Ethernet/IP digital I/O modules and pneumatic manifolds.
• Responsible for continued improvement of TC perception software, interfaces, and tooling.
• Collaborated on design of Remote Assistance mechanisms for supporting detection, classification, and system recovery capabilities.
• Responsible for performance analysis of advanced prototypes and generating corrective recommendations.
• Served as TC representative and voting stakeholder on organization-wide safety council.

Golden, Colorado, US

• Authored code in C++11, Python, and ROS for TC Obstacle Detection / Obstacle Avoidance (ODOA), hardware interface, perception, manipulation, simulation, configuration management systems, and finite state machines.
• Responsible for commissioning of Yaskawa GP7 robot arms, Intel RealSense cameras, SICK safety laser scanners, embedded VersaLogic computers, and other electronic devices.
• Authored data collection tools for assessing system performance with respect to commercial and engineering objectives.
• Prepared Machine Safety Risk Assessment (compliant with ANSI/RIA R15.06) on the complete TC robotic system.
• Developed documentation outlining system operation, support procedures, and hardware configurations.
• Participated in Agile sprint planning, task time estimation, and task dependency organization.

Evanston, IL, US

• Spearheaded joint effort between Computational Photography Lab and NU ACCESS to leverage Python, WebRTC, and consumer-grade Android tablets for 3D surface scanning using structured light projection and deflectometry..
• Spearheaded effort with Dr. Florian Willomitzer to adapt Flying Triangulation (arxiv:1305.4168) from MATLAB source code to C++17, modernized with Eigen, OpenCV, and PCL library features.
• Organized and maintained hardware inventory list for the CPL laboratory space.

• Systems Project Engineer tasks::
• Orchestrated internal team of 12 systems programmers with more than 100 collective years of PLC & HMI programming experience.
• Established project task lists, designed high-level architecture for early-stage projects, assigned manpower resources, and coordinated with other engineering disciplines on a daily basis.
• Developed material and labor estimates (with scope up to 10,000 man-hours) for sales department, as requested.
• Designed and outfitted new vision lab for the development of new machine vision strategies for application purposes.
• Coordinated with sister divisions on development of global code standard for deployment across all ATS N.A. locations.Laser Safety Officer tasks::

• Systems Engineering tasks::
• Designed and validated system architecture, final machine control code, and human-machine interfaces as lead programmer on projects for Doosan, General Motors, and First Solar.
• Programmed and validated Fanuc industrial robots in material handling and machine vision applications.
• Coordinated project schedules, task lists, and action items between project team members.Laser Safety Officer tasks::
• Handled matters of safe laser integration, operation, and maintenance through authoring workspace policies and performing optical calculations on Class 3/Class 4 lasers.

• Designed, reviewed, and procured electrical power distribution, controls, sensing, and operator safety systems for custom-built automated industrial manufacturing systems for Dow and General Motors.
• Served as technical lead engineer for multiple system design and assembly projects with electrical budgets up to $2 million USD.

Cincinnati, Ohio, US

• Performed circuit design of telemetry interfaces for space launch vehicle control systems.
• Supported development of experimental MEMS components in formal lab environment.
• Led formal evaluation of next-generation integrated CAD / parts management software suite for organizational adoption.
• Assisted with verification and documentation of FPGA architecture for First Stage Avionics Subsystems (FSAS) destined for the Alliant Techsystems “Ares” launch vehicles.

Master Of Science (M.S.), Robotics

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Electrical Engineering