Mark Micire
[mahrk muh-seer-ree] noun:
A self-confessed geek with a serious bent for technology that helps people, saves lives, and makes a difference.
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Posts
- Feb 22, 12
People have personal web sites for various reasons. My site is simply a scrap book and agregator. If you have met me, you know that I have a lot of projects and I am rarely standing still. This is my dumping grounds for my photos, movies, and thoughts.
Since I am far away from the place that I consider home, this also give a place where my family and friends can catch up with the “robot guy” and see what I am up to. Hopefully I can capture a few of my crazy adventures on this digital canvas.
I am sure that you will find misspellings, broken links, and things that just don’t work. Let me know if it is too annoying and I’ll try to fix it.
So, enjoy. There are no agendas here. Just a geek and some robots having fun.
- Feb 22, 12
I am curious and I tend to break things. These two facts have been consistent from childhood to today. Fortunately, I was able to find a career that tends to reward these two qualities.
My background in computer science has largely been in the area of field robotics and artificial intelligence. After enrolling in graduate school at University of South Florida, I began work in the field of search and rescue robotics. This application domain allowed me to apply robotics to a truly humanitarian cause while maintaining my interest in technology. Over the course of several years, I achieved my Master’s degree in Computer Science, became a Nationally Certified Fire Fighter, and used robots for the first time in the search and rescue response at the World Trade Center disaster. I have since had the opportunity to use robots for search and rescue in several of our recent hurricanes disasters, including Hurricane Katrina. These two events allowed me to independently validate the use of robots for search and rescue. Their use not only enhances the survivability of victims, but also helps protect human and canine responders by giving them crucial information about the hazardous environment. Robotics is a field with great potential, but I felt that there was much more to be done.
In 2002, I started the company American Standard Robotics. My employees and I worked for over three years to become first company to sell robots to search and rescue professionals. In a small way, we succeeded in that goal. There are now several rescue groups that have their own robot gear. Unfortunately, the market for this equipment is not mature and it needs to be developed considerably before it can sustain a growing business. As such, I have refocused my efforts back into the laboratory.
I continued my work under the auspice of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell from January 2006 until October 2010. My professor, Dr. Holly Yanco, watched me from afar through virtually all of the aforementioned trek and gave me a wonderful environment to creatively explore. I became extremely interested in multi-touch interfaces such as the Microsoft Surface and Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories’ DiamondTouch. I believe that these interfaces have significant advantages over conventional user-interface paradigms and their use in rescue response command and control will benefit our first responders in future disasters.
Today, I work for NASA and Carnegie Mellon University in the Intelligent Robotics Group at the Ames Research Center in Mointain View California. I am still breaking things, but this time I am trying to break them in space as well as on earth. I have been fortunate to work with a group that is sending Android cell phones on the last Space Shuttle mission to control robots on the International Space Station. Another project is investigating how first responders can use Android cell phones to help gather information in the field and get information back to the command staff supporting the operation.
- Feb 22, 12
Mark Micire has worked for over a decade to bring robots and other technologies to emergency response and search and rescue. He is currently a research scientist for Carnegie Melon University as an IPA to NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA. He is certified in multiple aspects of search and rescue including technical search, technical rescue, hazardous material response, and is a nationally certified fire fighter. He is active in the search and rescue community and a technical search specialist for the California Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 3. He was formerly a technical search specialist for the Massachusetts FEMA Search and Rescue Team and the Florida Regional Search and Rescue Task Force Three. Mark was a technical search robot operator during the World Trade Center Disaster and was a technical search specialist during the Hurricane Katrina response in Biloxi, Mississippi. His research leverages multi-touch tabletop, cell phone, sensing, and robot technology to bridge the gap between responders in the field and the incident command structure that supports them.
- Feb 22, 12
From Wikipedia: "The name is Latin, and translated literally means "god out of machine". The expression refers to Ancient Greek drama, in which many times an apparently unsolvable crisis was solved by the intervention of a god (or sometimes multiple), often brought on stage by an elaborate piece of equipment (the machine). The term “deus ex machina” is still used for cases where an author uses some improbable plot device to work his way out of a difficult situation." -More-
- Feb 22, 12
For my fellow geek-peeps, you will notice that this web site is not static and is more of an agregator for many of the social networking sites that I use. If you click on links in the various sections, you should be able to figure out the source of the material. Feel free to subscribe, friend, or associate appropriately from those sites directly.
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Info
- Research Scientist at Carnegie Mellon University / NASA Ames Research CenterComputer Software | San Francisco Bay Area, USExperience
- Oct 2010 - PresentResearch Scientist / Carnegie Mellon University / NASA Ames Research Center• One of the technical leads on HET SPHERES project which will deploy Android phones to the International Space Station for control of free flying robots.
• Developer and subject matter expert for the GeoCam project that uses Android phones to provide situation awareness for emergency personnel in the field.
• Assist in NASA initiaties and long-term roadmap formulation. - 1999 - PresentSelf Employed / Private ConsultancyProvided technical, security, and business strategy consulting services to various public and private institutions. Work details and references available upon request.
• 2010 : Knowledge Bridge International, Herndon VA. Technical lead for team working on mobile phone and radio technologies for government clientele.
• 2009 : Semantic Research, San Diego, CA. Design and manufacture of the field enclosure for the Barracuda radio monitoring system.
• 2006 : iRobot, Burlington MA. Evaluation and redesign of human-robot interaction for the PackBot Explosive Ordinance robot operator control unit.
• 2006: Center for Strategic Health Innovation / University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL. Provided external security audits of the Alabama Incident Management System (AIMS) and connected networks. Demonstrated security problems using non-destructive methods.
• 2006 : Interbots Initiative / Entertainment Technology Center at CMU, Pittsburgh, PA. Assisted in short and long term business strategies including business plan development, capital fundraising, cash flow analysis, and branding.
• 2005 : Sanford Police Department, Sanford, FL. Subcontracted to provide computer support and auditing for law enforcement personnel at multiple locations. Included support of highly sensitive local, state, and federal systems for criminal and driving records.
• 2003 : Caremedic Systems, Saint Petersburg, FL. Audited wired and wireless networks used to process medicare billing. Secured wireless network and constructed wireless bridge between two Caremedic buildings in downtown Saint Petersburg. - 2007 - Sept 2010Technical Search Specialist / Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue Team (FEMA)• FEMA Certified Technical Search Specialist.
• Focus on search camera and sound detection devices.
• Cross training in Technical Information and Communications roles. - 2006 - Sept 2010Graduate Research Assistant / University of Massachusetts Lowell• Research currently focused on multi-touch computer interfaces, robotics for urban search and rescue, and assistive robot technologies for the handicapped.
• Assists in grant writing, research publications, and support of lab research projects.
• Grant sponsors include the National Institute of Standards and Technology and National Science Foundation. - Jun 2008 - Aug 2008Research Associate / Intelligent Robotics Group at NASA Ames Research Center• Fully paid scholarship to perform research under the Education Associates Program.
• Developed prototype GeoCam Mobile J2ME mobile phone application for emergency responders.
• Assisted in the 2008 Ikhana Predator Wildfire Flight Mission over California providing ground support to teams involved in Big Sur wildfire response. - Aug 2002 - Dec 2007President and CEO / American Standard Robotics• Co-founder and company lead.
• Created award winning business plan, managed legal filings, and headed successful capital fundraising.
• Managed development of robot product design, mechanics, and electronics for outsourced manufacturing.
• Successfully negotiated formal cooperative relationships with leading robot manufacturers.
• Structured the scope and design of company branding, marketing, and procedural documentation. - 2001 - 2007Technical Search Specialist / Florida Regional Urban Search and Rescue Task Force Three• Emphasis on cameras and sound related technologies including robot crawlers for confined space reconnaissance and monitoring.
• Seven deployments during the 2004-2005 Hurricane Season including multi-state response to Biloxi, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. - 1999 - 2003Graduate Research Assistant, Technical Search Specialist, and Robot Trainer / Center for Robot Assisted Search and Rescue at the University of South Florida• Urban Search and Rescue robot technician, operator, and trainer. Organized response team equipment and response capabilities.
• Deployed in the aftermath of the World Trade Center Disaster and operated robots on Ground Zero for multiple FEMA and Fire Department of New York rescue teams.
• Robot trainer for multiple federal, state, and local rescue agencies on the use of robots for remote reconnaissance tasks and technical search.
• Independently designed $100,000+ fast response vehicle and 40ft response trailer.
• Mastered operating, maintaining, modifying, and repairing numerous robot platforms including Inuktun Services, iRobot, RWI, ActivMedia, Khepera, and Nomadic robots.
• Used assembly language, C++, Java, and CORBA to program component interfaces, drivers, and behaviors for mobile robots.
• Grant sponsors included the National Science Foundation, DARPA TTO for Future Combat Systems, DARPA ATO for Tactical Mobile Robots, SAIC fellow, Office of Naval Research, and The Center for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance. - 1999 - 2000Adjunct Faculty, Instructor / Polk Community College• Taught classes based on A+ certification curriculum. Held office hours and appointments for students. Created and maintained class web pages for posting assignments, student resources, testing samples, and answers. Planned and supervised half-day laboratory exercises.
• 100% pass rate on A+ certification for all students that participated in testing. - 1997 - 1999Computer and Network Technician / Computer Man!• Mobile, self-managed technician for businesses requiring secure network architecture design, installation, and management. Interfaced with customers regarding server maintenance, and computer repair.
• Launched intrusive and non-intrusive penetration testing for business security auditing. Provided post-hoc forensic analysis of criminally compromised servers.
Education-
2006 - 2010University of Massachusetts at LowellPhD in Computer Science, Robotics
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2004 - 2004Hillsborough Community CollegeNationally and Florida State Certified Fire Fighter
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1997 - 2002University of South FloridaBS, MS in Computer Science, Roboitics
Additional Information-
Websites:
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Posts
- Jan 12, 12
Android in Space! Flying robots in space .. all made possible by a Samsung Nexus S.
- Dec 21, 11
NASA's "Smart SPHERES" to Aid in the Development of Robots to Assist in Space Exploration
- Sep 01, 11
NASA Sends Android Phones Into Space to Work With Robots [VIDEO]
- Jul 25, 11
First NASA Smartphone Controlled Space Robots is Google's Android, Not Apple iPhone
- Jul 07, 11
Google Nexus S Smartphones Too Picked for Space Jaunt Aboard Atlantis [Video]
- Aug 11, 11
Microsoft Surface-controlled robots to boldly go where rescuers have gone before (video)
- Sep 08, 10
Portal & Microsoft Flight Sim, Purely Touchscreen Controlled With Microsoft Surface
- Aug 31, 10
Multitouch Control Screen Turns Swarm Robotics Into a Game of StarCraft (video)
- Aug 29, 10
Microsoft Surface meets Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio at U. Mass Lowell
- Oct 07, 05
Not-so-remote control / Ever wanted to cross-breed a vacuum cleaner? Latest robots take the floor in San Jose show
- Sep 08, 05
High-tech goes into action in disaster zone -- Hardware and software makes life easier for rescuers and rescued
- Oct 14, 01
Interview: Mark Micire of the Center for Robotic Assisted Search and Rescue at the University of South Florida
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Photos
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Photos (Gigapan)
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Tweets
- Mind absolutely, totally, completely blow out of this universe. We geeks do not have hobbies, we have… http://t.co/rCw82I76
- I can seriously watch this all day. Thank you Kurt. :) http://t.co/Nm67NLrx
- Unreal... (A Unique Pop-up Origami Fabrication of Micro Robots) http://t.co/iIIXWY6W
- Skydiving Demo Reel of the Day http://t.co/vTq0FNj4
- WolframAlpha Pro launches in an effort to democratize data science http://t.co/mNbDP8ki
- This is what is it like working at NASA. Replace "my kids" with "my friends' kids" and it is 100%. http://t.co/mkouJmVC
- Tired Out: Spain’s Abandoned Sitges-Terramar Racetrack http://t.co/FswoSnyQ
- An ear to the ocean http://t.co/Z8IvPKsg
- ElectroDroid – your Android electronic reference app http://t.co/3WJhdSmT
- NEWS FROM THE FUTURE – Drones Over U.S. Get OK By Congress http://t.co/FmnwC8yx
- http://t.co/UxJLIxyx (swissmiss | Social Media Explained)
- I am about to give up on email. This is crazy. http://t.co/ZN29VXyx
- Everybody Needs A Hobby of the Day http://t.co/bsK5Y208
- :( (Roger Boisjoly, Engineer Who Warned of Challenger Shuttle Disaster, Dies at 73) http://t.co/CMjhAJFt
- I totally do this all the time. Dropping it on the floor works also. http://t.co/EaYVH1RZ
- FF to 18:00 and watch the hurricanes roll into FL. What a year. http://t.co/dhMxx61X
- <3 I used to watch the dolphins as I would tear over the bridge on the way to work in Tampa. Too cool. http://t.co/AY15vdkz
- Breaking: Giant, Terrifying Warrior-Bots … On Sale Now! http://t.co/DGauZcdW
- I <3 Don Pettit. http://t.co/lY4UF9EM
- Holy aurora http://t.co/a5WJk6WI
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