Stephen Sywak, Pe (Nys/Mechanical) Email & Phone Number

Plainview, Ny, Us

As of Monday, August 5th, 2024, I will be working in a hybrid position for ShowMotion in Milford CT.I'm excited to return to the world of "Entertainment Engineering"!!!!

New York, Us

I work as a volunteer for events including beach clean-ups on the North and South shores of Long Island, as well as the occasional whale necropsy.

What can I design for you today?Let's start with what I've designed for my clients over the years:* Giant dancing robots over 8 stories tall.* A specialty high-speed descent winch, capable of dropping a car from 13 stories up (whereupon the car gets driven away after it lands)* A giant moving performance platform (stage) capable of picking up not only performers, but 10 tons of payload, spinning it all, and dumping it out.* A large, fast turntable capable of launching the world's most amazing acrobats into the audience's laps. Not intentionally, though. We had to slow it down a bit.* Actuators and systems ranging from fractional horsepower to thousands of horsepower.* Large (and small) dynamic structures, from breadbox-sized to vehicles to multi-story elevator towers, performance platforms, and dancing animatronic robots.* Welded and bolted connections, subject to complicated fatigue loads* Designs to US and European safety specificationsI also add to the mix experience with film-making and dramatic productions. So, if you're worried about working with someone who doesn't understand the needs of your production, don't be. I know where you're coming from.

Ronkonkoma, Ny, Us

Brooklyn, New York, Us

Ronkonkoma, Ny, Us

Lititz, Pennsylvania, Us

I recently consulted (December 2016) with a writer/producer on Netflix' upcoming "Lost In Space" Series, scheduled for release in mid-2018.The Science & Entertainment Exchange is a program of the National Academy of Sciences that connects entertainment industry professionals with top scientists and engineers to create a synergy between accurate science and engaging storylines in both film and TV programming.http://www.scienceandentertainmentexchange.org/You can contact me through their offices, here:http://www.scienceandentertainmentexchange.org/contact

Design and analysis of Tracked--and Trackless--theme park rides.

Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, Us

Senior Mechanical Engineer with the McLaren Engineering Group Entertainent Division.McLaren is a multi-disciplinary consulting firm. Departments include civil, structural, marine, forensics, and entertainment engineering. The Entertainment Division has many years of experience with theater, film, "ride and show," and related entertainment venues. Their Entertainment Group has also shown itself to be an excellent resource for the other divisions at McLaren when they are awarded some of their more extraordinary projects.My background includes military/aerospace, robotics, industrial processes, and design-for-manufacture of consumer/pro electronics, but more specifically at McLaren it included the design and analysis of large and moderate scale direct and servo-controlled effects, and static and dynamic structures. Two of my more recent projects include the 6-DOF robotic arm used to fly the car from the Broadway production of Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang out over the audience, and the two large performance-platform effects ("Sand Cliff Deck" and "Tatami Deck") from Cirque du Soleil's amazing Las Vegas specatacular, "KA" (www.ka.com) at the MGM Grand Casino/Hotel.McLaren also performs analysis (and supporting technical design work) on artistic and sculptural installations, such as multiple pieces for Alice Aycock (incl. "Spindizzy"), and a recreation of Marcel Duchamp's "Rotary Glass Plates (Precision Optics)" (formerly "Revolving Glass Machine"), which I was honored to have worked on.

As President of Stormy Weather Players, I produced (most), directed (some), and sometimes performed in numerous different plays, including our world-famous "One Act Plays Festival."With "War of the Worlds" (poster, below) I also co-wrote some permitted modifications to the stage adaptation, to add a little local, smoky flavor.I also created many of the posters and local video ads for our projects, and assembled the programs for our productions.

A series of essays I wrote have been published (with attribution) in the book, "The Authorized Ender Companion", by Jake Black, and published by TOR. Illustrations (2D drawings and 3D renderings) that I created are also included--in fact, one of my detailed renderings is on the back cover of the book!My essays explain the fictional/technical details of many of the technical aspects of the world of "Ender's Game" (a definite must-read for science fiction aficionados), and focused a great deal on the "Battle School," a central "asset" in the book.I'm very proud of this work, and also very grateful to Orson Scott Card, Jake Black, TOR publishing, and the many other people that helped get my small contribution to this book in shape for inclusion in the final product.

"A Novel Approach to Intra-Station Transfers between Large Centripetal Habitation Wheels and Stationary Utility Cores"http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=ASCECP000153040722000137000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes

Taking a loose and sometimes contradictory and impractical set of descriptions, turning them into a rough specification, and designing a successful asset against that specification. Presenting said design to the original author in a thorough, detailed format for his approval and eventual implementation in future stories.

Led the mechanical engineering design team in the update of the company's flagship product: "Scout", a MIL-STD-810 rugged, wireless laptop computer aimed at the telecommunications industry. Designed the company's first docking station for the Scout, leading to over $500K in initial unit sales upon release.Company has since been purchased by "Microslate."

New Windsor, New York, Us

* Project Engineer, Universal Studios’ “Terminator 2 in 3D” (Orlando & Hollywood) and other concurrent projects* Designed & analyzed servomechanisms and structures for theatre, theme park, film & corporate/industrial productions: Beauty and the Beast (NY, Japan, Mexico, US Tour), Miss Saigon (US Tour), RIO Sky Parade (Las Vegas), Disney/ABC Studios (NYC), Daimler-Chrysler, IBM, Pfizer, MGM/EFX, others.* Designed/implemented servo-effects with fractional to 50 Hp electric and hydraulic motors, DC and AC (brushless) servomotors, stepper motors, vector-drive motors, pneumatic and hydraulic actuators, ballscrews, timing belts, gears, gearboxes, chain drives, cams, friction wheels, cable drives, plus specialty components such as Serapid push-chain, and Spiralift assemblies.* 2D & 3D design, FEA, PLC programming, data acq., troubleshooting and prototype testing.* Designed in wood, steel, aluminum, acrylic, artistic treatments, and other materials as required.

(See PRG description)

I performed a substantial redesign of the "Levitator" that raised up the Beast at the climax of the production, spun him around, and allowed him to magically change back to the Prince. This was a complete re-working of gear trains and motorization (taking a system that was actually dangerous to the performer, and making it safe and controllable), and included designing the wiring and programming for the three-axis robot.

• Developed servomechanisms for pan/tilt control of an integrated video camera system for the space station.• Selected components and materials based on extreme thermal cycles and outgassing requirements.• Used computer solid modeling for equipment design and creation of photorealistic presentation graphics.• FEA used for structural, modal and thermal analysis of pan/tilt unit and specialized video camera.• Worked with subcontractors to develop fully functional prototypes.

• Directed mechanical, electrical and software engineering/design teams to create high accuracy (10 micron and better) assembly and inspection robots for the electronic circuit fabrication industry.• Integrated distributed servo control, high-speed vision systems, precision linear and rotary axes, advanced safety interlock systems, and auxiliary process systems on multiple serial ports. Performed electrical integration and programming of third-party process equipment. Updated company’s machine safety systems.• Developed a force-compliant precision servo-control system. Selected, installed and integrated specialty sensors for assembly robot. Designed spherical air bearing system for precise component alignment.• Designed and assembled prototype equipment for off-line testing of process methods.• Prepared and led client presentations, maintained target milestones.

Us

• Designed servo-actuators and other mechanisms for space-qualified, remotely manipulated, humanoid robots. This was originally called FTS (Flight Telerobotic Servicer) and is not the the “Robonaut” project; still active at JSC. Also worked on a project adapting the FTS for a robot-based mobile anti-terrorist devices.• Designed and analyzed multi-axis, multiple arm robot for ground-based simulation of satellite capture (TSR: Tumbling Satellite Retreival", one of the front-end packages for the OMV: Orbital maneuvering Vehicle). An earth-based prototype was evetually built and tested at Grumman's Large Amplitude Space Simulator facility.• Performed preliminary through production design and integration of equipment with test facilities.• Directed design reviews at NASA/Huntsville. Produced video presentations for NASA and technical conferences.• Repaired tendon actuated telerobotic arms. Installed “Stereo-Graphics” 3D video system.• Helped develop approaches for orbital debris removal.

A write-up by the Cinematographer can be found here: http://filmschoolonline.com/sarah/sarah.htm

• Performed detail design, static and dynamic structural analysis, thermal analysis (including FEA), and configuration studies on gyro-referenced, stabilized tracking systems for Navy, Air Force and other contracts. • Conducted vibration analysis and testing to military specifications. Designed test fixtures. Set-up, modified, and ran third-party test equipment on-site. Conducted optical and mechanical acceptance tests.• Negotiated price and delivery of Mil/Aero equipment and components. Established first PCs at company.

Bsme, Machine Design, Servo Control, Film

Certificate In Film Making, Film Making (The Old Fashioned Way!)

Degree, Geek/Nerd, Av Club (As If You Had To Ask)

Certificate, Superconducting Josephson Tunneling Junctions