Blake Younger
Autonomous Systems Engineer at Third Insight- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Credentials
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Amazon Web Services Cloud Practitioner
Amazon Web Services (AWS)Jun, 2022- Oct, 2024 -
Deep Learning
DeepLearning.AIJun, 2022- Oct, 2024 -
Robotics Software Engineer (In Progress)
UdacityJun, 2022- Oct, 2024 -
Google Data Analytics
GoogleMay, 2022- Oct, 2024 -
Reinforcement Learning Specialization
University of AlbertaMay, 2022- Oct, 2024 -
Tensorflow Developer
DeepLearning.AIMay, 2022- Oct, 2024 -
Build a Modern Computer From First Principles: From Nand to Tetris
The Hebrew University of JerusalemApr, 2022- Oct, 2024 -
Data Structures and Algorithms
Arizona State UniversityApr, 2022- Oct, 2024 -
Javascript Data Structures and Algorithms
freeCodeCampJan, 2022- Oct, 2024
Experience
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Third Insight
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United States
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Research Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Autonomous Systems Engineer
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Jul 2022 - Present
• Field tested 2 drone prototypes using vision-based mapping and navigation for the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), fixed software, electrical and mechanical issues on the vehicles • Set up and ran software-in-the-loop simulations to identify the optimal combination of RRT path planning parameters which reduced time for the drone to map the environment by 38%. • Wrote Linux shell scripts to automate the testing environment setup and operations, which decreased the flight testing iteration time by 5x, and made the log collection much more consistent, resulting in highly organized and easily interpretable test runs. • Contributed to existing C++ codebase by building MAVLink message helper functions which significantly sped up troubleshooting efficiency and gave drone operators a detailed view on the internal state of the Kalman filter and the onboard sensors • Built custom firmware and implemented innovative hardware solutions to fix optical flow, GPS interference, and Kalman filter anomalies. Show less
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Apex Aircraft Designer
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United States
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Aviation & Aerospace
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Software Engineer
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Oct 2020 - Jul 2022
• Built a web application that significantly speeds up the process of conceptual aircraft design. Currently supports multicopter drones and subsonic fixed wing aircraft. • Quickly determine the performance characteristics of new aircraft concepts and optimize for driving requirements such as flight time, payload capacity, and cruise speed. Determine the ideal wing sizing, tail sizing, and propeller diameter, among over 100 variables. • Allows the user to plot trade study graphs to explore the relationship between flight time vs battery size, maximum range vs wing loading, and any other variables. • Built using React and Bootstrap on the front end, and Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB on the back end. The application has full login/logout functionality, saves user’s calculations, and meets modern security standards. Show less
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Opener
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United States
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Software Development
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1 - 100 Employee
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Mechanical Engineer
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Nov 2019 - Oct 2020
• Built production-grade tooling to manufacture carbon fiber wing and fuselage structures • Calibrated and operated a 5-axis shipping container sized CNC machine. Optimized 5-axis toolpaths to significantly decrease manufacturing time for the wing and fuselage structures • Designed and manufactured 3D printed radar altimeter mounts which dramatically increased altitude measurement accuracy and decreased the vehicle’s drag coefficient • Determined failure modes and lifetime of the control surface servos by building a test stand and running a Python script with Phidgets to simulate flight loads Show less
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SparkCognition
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United States
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Software Development
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200 - 300 Employee
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Aerospace Engineer
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Jan 2018 - Oct 2019
• Designed and built a hybrid electric-gas VTOL UAV for long range / heavy payload applications. Manufactured the wing, tail and fuselage using carbon fiber wet layups and resin infusion. Tuned the PIDs to smoothly control the vehicle during demanding maneuvers and heavy winds. Developed the UAV to repeatedly and reliably perform automatic takeoff, waypoint navigation, and automatic landing. • Designed and built another UAV which autonomously navigates and generates a map of its indoor environment. Integrated cutting edge 360 degree LiDAR, optical flow, and stereoscopic vision sensors. Configured an on-board Jetson TX2 to estimate the drone’s relative position by applying a Kalman-Filter to the sensor data. Set up a Python Flask server to remotely toggle a magnet on the UAV to pick up and release payloads. Configured an RTK GPS system to achieve 4cm position accuracy for precision landing. Implemented object detection using YOLO. Show less
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UAV Engineer Intern
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May 2017 - Aug 2017
• Constructed a VTOL autonomous UAV for long range payload delivery applications • Wrote flight plans and analyzed flight logs to solve propulsion, stability and control issues. Fixed yaw, vibration and ESC calibration issues which enabled the UAV to lift 25kg. • Ensured 915MHz telemetry antenna, 2.4GHz RC receiver and 5.8GHz video transmitter were surrounded by only RF transparent material and did not interfere with other electronics • Designed and soldered the UAV’s 30,000W electric power system, which reliably supplied power to 9 brushless DC motors. Charged and verified health of LiPo batteries • Integrated and repaired mechanical and electrical components following official procedures • Tested wires for continuity and short circuits before installation, which prevented wasting time diagnosing electrical problems • Used precision instruments and hand tools including multimeter, soldering iron, torque wrench, infrared thermometer, Dremel, and many others to build and install reliable components • Followed proper safety protocol by using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Show less
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Program Manager
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Jan 2016 - Jun 2017
Lead a student team with 25 active members to design, build, and fly an autonomous payload delivery UAV for the AUVSI SUAS competition. This is a project encompassing many facets of product development, with students gaining hands-on experience in mechanical, electrical, software and test engineering roles. In 2017 we placed 3rd for our technical paper and 14th overall out of 68 international teams. Lead a student team with 25 active members to design, build, and fly an autonomous payload delivery UAV for the AUVSI SUAS competition. This is a project encompassing many facets of product development, with students gaining hands-on experience in mechanical, electrical, software and test engineering roles. In 2017 we placed 3rd for our technical paper and 14th overall out of 68 international teams.
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NewSpace Global
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United States
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Information Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Analyst Intern
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May 2015 - Aug 2015
• Analyzed privately held companies involved in the commercialization of space using NSG’s 4 Screen system of analysis i.e. management, market, capitalization, and technology • Presented analyses to Senior Analysts during conference call for peer review, then added companies to NSG’s indices • Updated over 100 NSG-tracked companies’ scores and rankings on the indices by factoring into the algorithm recent developments unique to specific companies, in addition to general NewSpace market dynamics • Wrote 4 detailed articles, based on the 4 Screen analysis, which covered new additions to the indices and major events in the industry for NSG’s daily news publication, NewSpace Watch • Organized, conducted, and published interviews with C-level executives of emerging companies in the NewSpace sector Show less
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Education
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2013 - 2017
The University of Texas at Austin
Bachelor’s Degree, Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering -
2023 - 2024
University of Colorado Boulder
Master's degree, Data Science
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