EXPERIENCED MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ENGINEER & SCIENTIST
R&D | Innovate | Prototype | Bio-Physical Systems
Excel at designing and implementing embedded electronics and mechanical research initiatives to improve off-road and agricultural operations, reduce labor costs, and enhance crop production and yield. Supervise testing protocols and utilize emerging technologies and systems to successfully complete research initiatives. Skillfully secure multi-million dollar research grants. Conduct research and publish scholarly articles, integrating academic and professional experience.
− Research and Development Execution − Electronic, Electro-Mechanical Design
− Sensors and Instrumentation − Result and Strategic Analysis
− Project and Team Management − Sciences and Engineering Modeling
− Labor and Cost Savings Technology − Embedded Systems Programming
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LTD, Sunnyvale, CA 2011 – 2015
Research Engineer
Contributed to definition, development and testing of new and existing Precision Ag products and projects. Evaluated and reported feasibility of concepts intended for new developments. Partnered with engineers, programmers, technicians, field application and sales for definition and testing of products. Conducted lab and field validation tests. Designed, performed and interpreted lab and field experiments and created reports to assist market and engineering teams in decision making processes.
• Partnered with engineering team, designing, developing, and testing electronic circuits, PCB revs, evaluations and redesigns.
• Participated in all stages of product development, since conceptual analysis to fabs and Alpha / Beta testing, developing height sensor (vital part of a boom height control system) and releasing to market on schedule. Productized sensor has shown high field reliability.
• Provided technical support to upper management in specific technical areas of agriculture, adding knowledge to objective subject review and interpreted field test results. Transferred to upper management and product development team, serving as knowledge bridging among experts, enhancing depth of decisions on a system level.
• Developed, fabricated, and implemented specific hardware (electronic circuits, Microchip PIC ICs, wiring and sensors) and software (programmed embedded microcomputers and microcontrollers in C and Python languages).
• Awarded U.S. Patent #8,942,893 B2: Predictive boom shape adjustment.
Created intellectual property (IP) through innovative and out-of-the-box thinking approach, receiving awarded patent that produced path and IP protection for company to invest engineering resources to developing and introducing a new product in the market.
• Published: Crop yield per location measurer. Patent application number: 20130124239.
• Published: Intelligent precision irrigation system. Patent application number: 20150053786.
• Participated in quasi-end-to-end process from conceptual to fabrication of a commercial product, saving company resources by creating, designing, prototyping, and lab/field testing prototypes.
TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LTD (Continued)
• Collaborated with universities, identifying and providing technical training to engineering team in non-engineering areas of expertise.
• Provided bilingual technical support involving Portuguese (Brazil) and English language clarifications and translations. Attended foreign Shows and Events, saving company resources in translation and breaking communication barrier to communicating with technical customers not fluent in English.
• Volunteered as a judge for the San Jose Science Fair, representing Trimble and assigning prizes to top projects for 4 years. The Synopsis accommodates projects of over 700 students from 8-12 grades.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS, Davis, CA 2002 – 2010
One of 10 campuses of the University of California educational system.
Assistant Professor / Bio-production Engineer
Directed development and testing of ongoing research projects related to bio-production in Tree Crop Harvesting, Sensors and Instrumentation, Precision Farming. Coordinated research initiatives for Off-Road Vehicle Traction and Steering, Machinery Design, Soil Dynamics, and The Finite Element Method. Conducted in-depth lectures and classroom management for multiple courses, including Properties of Materials in Biological Systems, Physical Properties of Biological Materials, Power Systems Design, Actuators and Systems, and Engine Technology.
• Supervised graduate and undergraduate programmers and mechanical engineering students, visiting scholars, and staff engineers, supporting research phases and ensuring projects were completed to strict guidelines and standards.
• Awarded U.S. Patent #7,211,745: Precision harvesting and analysis techniques for orchard crops, for the creation of automated pistachio yield monitoring system.
Developed and tested innovative concept of yield monitoring system for pistachio, resulting in the awarded patent and publications, as well as interest by a large tree crop grower who indicated desire to pursue University license to utilize technology to evaluate and improve tree crop yield.
• Improved fruit quality related to automated fruit thinning operation by completing prototype feasibility study of actuator that precisely excited scaffolds individually.
• Developed, fabricated, and tested controlled spiked drum canopy shaker that enhanced fruit removal from trees.
• Collaborated with local custom machinery manufacturer, designing powerful servo-controlled trunk shaker for use in multiple tree crops.
• Led design of controlled citrus harvester end-effector for fresh fruit market, successfully harvesting 85 to 90% of fruit from trees without significant damage to fruit or branch.
• Managed project team with US Department of Energy, producing systems that protected fuel cell systems from mechanical stresses associated with a broad-range of off-road conditions primarily related to farming operations.
• Directed mechanical harvester project (prototype grants, staffing, prototype, and lab) using local olive growers funding, evaluating effects of an improved mechanical canopy shaker on component basis of fruit quality and explored strategies for mitigating damage.
• Classes taught:
o ABT101: (Internal Combustion) Engine Technology
o EBS 75: Properties of Materials in Biological Systems
o EBS 275: Physical Properties of Biological Materials
o EBS 120: Power Systems Design
o ENG 121: Actuators and Systems
EDUCATION
− Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Agricultural and Bio resource Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
− Master of Science (MS), Agricultural Engineering, University of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
− Bachelor of Science (BS), Agricultural Engineering, University of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
− SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) training module, IEEE (Ins...
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