Keith Epstein

Experience

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  Kionix, Inc.

  Jun 2001 - Feb 2008

  Applications Engineer and Mechanical Design Engineer

  Applications Engineer- Developed new applications for MEMS accelerometers and created demonstration tools for the sales team to show to customers, using PC software and microcontroller firmware.- Created motion sensors for handheld video gaming using Kionix accelerometers: GBAccelerometer, DS motion pak, DS motion card, and PSP motion.- Advised customers and sales team on accelerometer product selection, algorithm design, and implementation.- Analyzed accelerometer qualification test data.Mechanical Design Engineer- Designed silicon micro-machined accelerometers and gyroscopes to meet demanding cost and performance criteria, following established manufacturing design rules on a fast-paced time scale. Utilized and wrote MATLAB, Excel, and ANSYS simulation tools.- Translated customer specifications into design input parameters.- Developed improved (smaller, lower cost) packaging methods for inertial sensors, and led development of injection molded open cavity package - design, vendor selection, qualification, and manufacturing. Show less

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  AllEarth Renewables, Inc.

  Mar 2008 - Oct 2016

  Mechanical Design Engineer

  - Design, development, testing, and manufacturing of residential-scale wind turbine and photovoltaic dual-axis tracker system and components for low cost manufacturing, easy assembly, and reliable operation. Led UL 3703/2703 certification.- Created innovative integrated-grounding PV module clamp from conceptual design through prototyping, vendor selection, production, design revisions, and UL certification.- Performed energy production modeling/simulation for photovoltaic arrays using PVWatts, System Advisor Model (SAM), and PVsyst.- Developed dashboard/data visualization scripts using MATLAB and perl, querying a MySQL database.- Designed a 6-axis force balance for full-scale wind tunnel testing of solar tracker up to 120 mph, designed and built data acquisition system, and wrote LabVIEW data acquisition software.- Designed, built, and installed an 80 meter tilting/telescoping tower for wind farm meteorological measurements. Show less

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  Aeolus Labs

  Jun 2013 - Oct 2016

  Assistant Lab Manager

  - Developed and maintained LabVIEW software for control of anemometer calibration wind tunnel, data acquisition, and data analysis/reporting.- Followed international standards and industry best practices to determine uncertainty of anemometer calibrations.- Developed and maintained policies and procedures to ensure high quality, process efficiency, and compliance with ISO/IEC 17025.

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  Forecast, LLC

  Jan 2017 - now

  Owner, Engineer, Consultant

  - Providing small businesses with engineering, manufacturing, energy efficiency, and renewable energy expertise.- Collaborate to design new products and processes, improve existing products or processes, and solve design, manufacturing, performance, and reliability problems.- Customers include sports equipment inventors and manufacturers, an enterprise IOT company, a rally car shop, a solar energy developer, university researchers, a wind turbine manufacturer, an eco lawn-care equipment representative, a semiconductor equipment manufacturer, a weather forecasting startup, an arcade game studio, an outdoor tools manufacturer, active seating manufacturers, an energy IOT company, a sock manufacturer, an olfactory virtual reality company, a research equipment manufacturer, a wireless power company, and many other companies and individual inventors.- Helped homeowners understand home energy usage by providing the DOE Home Energy Score and the Vermont Home Energy Profile through an Efficiency Vermont pilot program in 2017. Show less

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  GENERATOR

  Jun 2023 - now

  Instructor

  Teaching the Introduction to Computer-Aided Design (CAD) class. Students learn the fundamentals of 3D modeling, and how to implement them using Fusion 360.

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  University of Vermont

  May 2024 - now

  Engineering Capstone Lecturer and Senior Experience in Engineering Design (SEED) Program Director

  This 4th year course for senior Mechanical & Electrical Engineering students teaches engineering design, analysis, testing, communication, and teamwork, while students solve real engineering problems for external clients. Companies, non-profits, faculty, and students sponsor projects, and students collaborate to turn a problem statement into a solution over two semesters.Responsibilities include identifying and scoping projects with external clients, lecturing, mentoring student teams, preparing students for engineering roles in industry, and managing the design laboratory.Approximately 25 client/sponsor projects and 100 students annually.https://www.uvm.edu/cems/senior-capstone-programs#seed Show less