Desone Burns II

NikolaOS is the foundation upon which the software within the Nikola fleet of vehicles is built. It handles the security an authentication tasks using a TPM2.0 encyrption module, as well as user interactions with an HTML5 frontend running in an embedded browser. I had the pleasure of starting this project from the ground up, starting with little Linux experience (running Ubuntu on my laptop in college), and becoming very knowledgeable about the Operating system in the process. The project is built in Yocto, with every package customizable by the team to fit our needs. I even made sure to get CI running to keep builds stable, provide an easy place to download the latest image, and to act as a build cache server to speed up builds during development. I became the lead on this project after about a year of developing on my own, with several engineers supporting me in the effort.

While at Raytheon Missile Systems, the company held an annual hackathon for employees to participate in. The project myself and two coworkers decided on was a facial-tracking drone. We were given two days to complete the project and present for some of the biggest figures in the business unit. Using OpenCV in python for our processing backend, and Node.JS for our drone interfacing frontend, we were successfully able to complete the project and were awarded first place in the competition. Following the win, we were interviewed by external affairs, and had an article written about our acomplishment.

In learning about the utility of free and open source projects, I was directed to create an internal store for employees to purchase company swag while providing an easy way to keep inventory. Using one of the more popular open-source solutions available, I was able to tailor the UX and UI of the tool to match the look and feel of the company's existing website. This included getting into the source code and altering some functionality (streamling checkout steps, responsive elements, etc.) to better fit our needs. The store, with some modifications and optimizations over time, has since ben made accessible to the public to purchase company swag.

Among the many projects I've picked up in my need to tinker is the RCDuino. Early in my college career, before I had gained any real experience with programming, I took apart an old Ford Mustang RC Car, frustrated that it didn't support a variable turning angle or variable acceleration (only a binary on/off). As part of my teardown, I pulled the reflective stickers from the "headlights" and replaced them with LEDs, and subsequently attached the motor connectors to an Arduino I was just learning how to use. With that done, I threw in a bluetooth module and wrote up some code that would take simple messages from the bluetooth module to finally achieve that variable steering angle and acceleration. I then wrote up an Android app to give me that control, complete with a steering wheel and a speed slider, as well as a button for headlights. Considering how little I knew about what I was doing, I call this a huge feat, especially since I hadn't even taken my first programming class yet. Looking back, the app could use some work, but nonetheless, I'm proud of what I was able to create, and it's a pretty good looking car to boot.

In my free time I chose to volunteer at the local middle school, who was having a STEM based event classed Stemtacular Day. Representing Raytheon Missle Systems, I prepared interactive projects with the goal of teaching the students the basis of Computer Science, what it looks like, and what it's capable of. The booth consisted of an Arduino connected to a Raspberry Pi, running the Arduino IDE. This was to show the blinking LED code example, so that the students could have a chance to see what code actually looks like, and could play with the timing to see the effects their changes would have. I took it a step further with an Addressable RGB LED strip with an ultrasonic sensor

With the intention to come up with a project that was the perfect marriage between software and hardware, I found myself hard at work on the Bartender. Its purpose is to dispense liquid from multiple containers with precise measurments. From woodworking, to circuit design and soldering, I designed every aspect of the device. It features a SQL database containing user profiles, settings, ingredients and ingredient types, and many different drinks. It uses a Node.JS backend for all server functionality, and HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in the front end for the user interface. It runs on a Raspberry Pi Zero W, with GPIO extenders for the flow sensors and relays, and a board made to control the RGB LED strips. The project has very much been a learning experience, which is to say it has been serving its purpose.

While working at the Office of Student Computing Resources, one thing about being an Operational Lead was that there were multiple systems in place we were to use in order to ensure that all the labs across campus were staffed. The real difficulty was that different labs were open at different times, and labs with classes set to take place had to take priority over those that did not. Most importantly, we were tasked with checking the scheduling software to ensure the scheduled consultant made it to the lab within 5 minutes of the start of their shift. The dashboard was a Node.js server that was able to parse the JSON returned with reference to the respecitve API of 5 different sources, and the AJAX frontent made it incredibly simple for Operational Leads going forward to check lab status. The dashboard is still in use today, and a dedicated display has been set up for easy access by the leads.

In collaboration with a few of my former classmates, we sought out fix the problem of haphazardly arranging study sessions. Fixing the problem was a big priority, but the primary purpose was for the experience in programming for Android and iOS. The app was a very good learning experience, and I was able to get to a point where I was comfortable with Android programming, particularly because the the first programming language I was taught in a classroom was Java.

As part of my UnitFi home automation project, I looked into creating my own custom modules and a custom secure protocol. The modules are programmed using C, and the protocol is optimized to be as secure as possible with calculated salt and AES-128 encryption. The module made to connect to the Raspberry Pi is set to communicate via i2c, with the module able to automatically convert and encrypt commands and requests before sending. Additionally, the protocol allows for the devices to be ultra-low power, able to theoretically operate for years on a coin cell battery. More than anything this project has been an exploration into security within IoT devices, as well as what truly makes a 'smart' home as opposed to just a 'connected' home.

Although woodworking is not one of my strong suits, I used that skill along with my extensive knowledge of Arudino and previous experience with 3D printers to build my own, for prototyping and so on from the comfort of my own home. I now use it for quickly testing CAD designs, making small figures downloaded from Thingiverse, and for making cases for things like Raspberry Pi and Arduino projects. I bought all parts of the printer individually for maximum customization, and even designed a few of my own, such as a mount for the capacitive distance sensor (for auto-levelling).

The uDoGz game was a project made in collaboration with a few of my close friends, meant to be a learning experience in the world of gaming. We all had different roles, mine being that of the programmer. This demo is meant to showcase what has achieved from a programming perspective, but only scratches the surface as to what could have been achieved. I also played the same role in another game development team in the months prior, creating an interactive demo with a working 3D figure, implementing AI such that the user had to avoid being caught by an object avoiding NPC.

The UnitFi Project was one of learning about circuits, and the hardware and software that they need to work well. The project was a deep dive into using Linux, building a Node.js server with a GPIO interface. Additionally, wireless protocols and custom circuit design became part of the bundle.