the makengineerist
A Place For My Stuff
This is where I store things I’ve built, so I can share it with the Interwebs. Of course, it’s a WordPress template, so if you come across “template-like” wording, you can probably ignore it. I either missed it, or I found it amusing to leave it there. Like the batch of catchy tags and images right below this paragraph.
✓ Effortless Innovation
✓ 500+ Creations
✓ Saves Time
My Method
If you want to call it that. There’s a madness to my method.
01
Brainstorm
Often with the help of others – people, my AI assistant, various substances…
02
Do nothing for a while
Add new idea to existing stack of non-actualized ideas
03
Wait for inspiration to strike
Often due to boredom, cabin fever, or disgust with another project
04
Create
Much cursing may be involved
05
Hate the result
Reevaluate life choices
06
Edit and refine until halfway pleased
Or leave unfinished and return to step #1
Software Projects
What can I say? It’s what I do – I write code.
- ResumeChat – an application that uses RAG and an LLM to answer questions about a user’s resume and employment goals
- SNOWPLOW – Smart Navigation and Optimized Workflows for PLOWing – an application that takes a list of stops (defined by active users/customers) and outputs an optimized route to visit all stops, depending on weather, traffic conditions, etc. Could be used for any delivery service
- Virtual Assistant – this is my attempt at replicating JARVIS, except mine is female. Very much a work in progress, but uses ollama on the back end (so I can run her locally) and ElevenLabs’ API to enable her to speak (link coming soon)
Software/Hardware Projects
Sometimes you have to build stuff that your code runs on. Or in. Or does stuff to.
- Magic Mirror – yes, everyone’s got one or made one. But mine’s different
- Home Automation – again, a work in progress (link coming soon)
Hardware Projects
It’s not all code all the time. I sometimes build things that don’t require code, like furniture, and cases, and cases for things that do require batteries and/or code.
- Bartok the zombie
- Willy the ventriloquist doll
- Rosemary the tricycle girl
- Willy’s case
- TV stand
- Plant stand
- Bedside table
- End table(s)
- Floor lamp
- Outdoor light sculpture
Oh, hey! I wrote that!
I’ve written a few books – mostly dealing with the Raspberry Pi minicomputer and some other consumer & hobbyist boards
Learn Raspberry Pi Programming With Python
Jumpstarting C
Getting Started with Raspberry Pi – 4th ed.
Make a Raspberry Pi-Controlled Robot
Jumpstarting the Onion Omega2
Getting Started With the micro:bit
Explore Software Defined Radio
What people who know me say:
“One of the best hiring decisions that I made while a department director. Wolf isn’t a traditional researcher, but his singular work ethic, creativity, ability to get things done and make valuable contributions to Aerospace’s customers proved he was the right choice. (To be honest, it was the zombie robot that really got my attention and made me really want Wolf on my team…)”
B. Scott Michel
Senior Project Leader @ The Aerospace Corporation
“I worked with Wolf as an adviser on his Alaska Space Grant autonomous submersible project – he does excellent work! He’s a true “figure it out” engineer who is able to take theory and put it into action. He’s also quite talented at communicating technical results in a way that is interesting and accessible to a wide audience that is a nice balance of big picture and precise technical detail.”
Sam Siewert
One of my former professors
“How did you do that?”
My mother
Why, yes! I’m available!
Want to hire me? I’m available, possibly as an employee but definitely as a contractor/consultant. Let’s chat.