William L. Spies II
www.spieswl.com
resume@spieswl.com
https://github.com/spieswl
http://www.linkedin.com/in/spieswl2
SKILLS AND TOOLS
ROS 1 / 2
C++ 17/20
Python 3
OMPL, Boost, Eigen
OpenCV, PCL, CUDA
Git, CMake, Docker
Google Test / Bench
PLC Programming
Robot Programming
Atlassian & MS Office Suite
ANSI/RIA R15.06
ISO 13849, ISO 26262, NFPA 70E
Project Planning
Budget & Labor Estimation
Leadership Development
EXPERIENCE
True Anomaly : Centennial, CO September 2023 – September 2024
Lead Engineer, Simulation Platform
• Led four engineers in the development of astrodynamic software for modeling and simulation of JACKAL autonomous orbital vehicles.
• Authored logic for communications modeling, analysis of vehicle state uncertainty, and the persistent object management system for the
Mosaic software product in C++20 and Python.
• Maintained APIs for Python and Elixir libraries (through NIF utilization of C-like APIs) for downstream Mosaic users.
• Liason to project planners to prioritize feature requests, triage bugs, and steer development efforts to achieve long-term strategic objectives.
Fenris Robotics, LLC. : Denver, CO September 2022 – Present
Founder, Contractor
• Started my own robotics consulting LLC, providing contracting services to enterprises with robotic development challenges.
• Chembotix, LLC. June 2023 – September 2023
o First engineer contracted for stealth-mode chemistry robotics startup, where I wrote the system architecture for Autosynth, an
autonomous chemical fabrication robotic cell.
o Wrote the drivers, state machine, telemetry capture logic, motion planning and offline simulation code for the prototype cell, integrating
with an already-present VEX Robotics controller and peripheral devices.
• Viam, Inc. September 2022 – May 2023
o Wrote integration with the Open Motion Planning Library (OMPL) to supplement internal motion planning algorithms via C++ APIs.
o Authored tutorials on setup, configuration, and use of the Motion service aimed at users of the Robot Development Kit (RDK).
o Leveraged MuJuCo for validation of robotic descriptions, kinematic and dynamic behavior, and joint limit and collision checks.
Outrider Technologies, Inc. : Golden, CO March 2019 – August 2022
Senior Software Engineer, Robotics
• Managed collaboration between TrailerConnect (TC) and Computer Vision and Machine Learning (CVML) departments.
• Authored and supported C++ software interfaces to industrial-grade Ethernet/IP digital I/O modules and pneumatic manifolds.
• Responsible for continued improvement of TC perception software, interfaces, and tooling in C++ and Python.
• Responsible for performance analysis of advanced mechanical prototypes and generating corrective design recommendations.
Robotics Software Engineer
• Authored code in C++ and Python (ROS 1) for TC Obstacle Detection / Obstacle Avoidance (ODOA), hardware interface, perception,
manipulation, simulation, configuration management systems, and finite state machines.
• Responsible for commissioning of Yaskawa GP7 robotic arms, Intel RealSense cameras, SICK safety laser scanners, embedded VersaLogic
computers, and other electronic devices.
• Prepared Machine Safety Risk Assessment (compliant with ANSI/RIA R15.06) on the complete TC robotic system.
Northwestern University : Evanston, IL
Research Scientist - Computational Photography Lab (CPL) June 2018 – December 2018
• Spearheaded joint effort with NU ACCESS to leverage Python, WebRTC, and consumer-grade Android tablets for 3D surface scanning using
structured light projection and deflectometry. (US Patent 11,336,883) (Optics Express 28, 9027-9038 (2020))
• Spearheaded effort with Dr. Florian Willomitzer to adapt Flying Triangulation (arxiv:1305.4168) from MATLAB source code to C++17.
Master of Science, Robotics September 2017 - September 2018
• Focused on robotic applications of computer vision (e.g. visual odometry, 3D reconstruction, camera calibration, pose estimation).
• Focused on embedded systems programming in modern C++ (11/17) and Python, including heavy usage of ROS 1.
• Focused on implementing kinematic and dynamic control of 6-DoF robotic systems and mobile manipulators.
ATS Automation : Lewis Center, OH June 2012 – August 2017
Systems Project Engineer; Laser Safety Officer
Systems Software Engineer; Laser Safety Officer
Electrical Design Engineer
