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Are you seeking a world class expert
in
Kalman filtering or in its many variations for
general estimation applications?
Thomas H. Kerr III and TeK Associates
have what you need for both the subtle theoretical algorithmic aspects and for its software implementation (or to perform size, speed, and accuracy profiling and\or IV&V)!
We have previously actively participated in both evolutionary and revolutionary developments in trailblazing new results in Estimation Theory and in its practical applications and we continue to do so.
See discussion elsewhere here for more information about our commercial PC-based software product: TK-MIP, which encapsulates our prior experience for easy dissemination to and understanding by both novices and experts in this field.
Over 40+ years experience in a variety of defense-related systems, being called upon to first conceive of novel mathematical algorithms and prototype solutions to problems posed by Department of Defense Navy and Air Force customers for various Kalman filter (optimal and sub-optimal estimation) applications in Inertial Navigation Systems, and its utilization of other augmenting navaids [such as NavSat, Global Positioning Satellite System (GPSS), Loran-C, map-matching fix\resets] and in radar target tracking (after first simulating its behavior from available mathematical models in state variable form to then appropriately set parameters and requisite fix rates through rigorous trade-off analyses and performance evaluations). After conceiving of the solutions, we then design and implement these ideas in software, and ultimately test them (using, first, standard unit tests, then integration tests, and, after any subsequent changes, invoking a sequence of regression tests specially tailored to confirm that no desired prior functionality has been clobbered by the latest changes). Prior to the 1990s, our prototyped implementations were typically done in FORTRAN 66\77 or in IBM's PL/1 language and then later manually converted to assembly language or machine language for real-time implementation; however, now our initial implementations are in the higher level languages: MatLab and\or its Simulink adjunct (then afterwards we convert these prototypes using a MatLab-to-C compiler or Real-Time Workshop, respectively, for cross-platform transportability). A frequently used alternative is to implement parts of the solution in Absoft 6.3 or Compaq Visual Fortran 90\95. Microsoft Visual Basic (VB) 3.0, 5.0, 6.0 & .NET and Access 97\2000 are preferred for implementing the Graphical user Interfaces (GUI) since VBs AppActivate and shell commands can be used to run other new or legacy software executables and older *.bat files (and even run old legacy DOS files without any [specifically suppressed] DOS screen ever appearing as a tip-off to the end user). As an experienced consultant, we have been called upon to debug programs written by others and to write Software Requirement Specifications (SRS) in this our specialty area.
Thomas Kerr III, the founder and CEO of TeK Associates since 1992, received the B.S.E.E. in electronics (magna cum laude) from Howard University and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees (via a National Science Foundation traineeship and NASA funding) in the electrical engineering specialty of control\estimation from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA. As an R&D algorithm engineer, he has worked in the estimation area for over 40+ years on DoD (Poseidon\Trident) submarines and in aircraft Navigation (failure detection [the mathematical dual of the detection problem encountered in tracking a maneuvering target] and reconfiguration in Navigation systems within owncraft position and attitude determination); has some sonar evaluation Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) experience; has done Global Positioning System (GPS) integration Development Test and Evaluation (DT&E) in submarines and performance monitoring of both of the dually manufactured GPS receivers in the 1980s competition (between Magnovox and Rockwell International-Autonetics) as gauged against Department of Defense (DoD) spec compliance and subsequently investigated use of GPS in novel airborne applications as well. He has also worked in strategic Radar target-tracking; and in some aspects of tactical and strategic Electronic Warfare (EW) pattern recognition applications; gaining experience while previously employed at General Electric Corporate R&D Center in Schenectady, NY (71-73); TASC (73-79) [later part of Litton, and even later part of Northrop Grumman]; Intermetrics, Inc. (79-86) [later known as Averstar, later part of Titan, and now part of L3]; and for 6 years (86-92) at Lincoln Laboratory of MIT (an Air Force FFRDC); and at TeK Associates (92-present). He taught Optimal Control and Kalman Filter and Estimation theory in the Graduate School of ECE at Northeastern University (evenings-only) for 4 years (between 1990-1995). He has done work for MITRE, XONTECH, RAYTHEON (2 contracts), ARETE, GOODRICH ISR, OKSI, and AURORA Flight Sciences. The common thread is that almost all of the aforementioned projects and assignments were fundamentally Kalman filter signal processing or closely related model-based estimation theory and control applications.
Thomas
Kerr III now guides TeK Associates, an engineering consulting company, in
developing their main software product, TK-MIP, and in pursuing Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIRs) and sub-contracts
in the evolving areas of Kalman filter applications for Navigation, Target
Tracking, and for Image Processing and Sensor Fusion. He has taught Optimal
Control in the graduate E. C. E. Department at Northeastern Univ. in the evenings
for four years in the 1990s and has TeK consultant affiliations there and at MIT, and at
UCLA. He is versed in FORTRAN77\90, PL/1, IBM Assembly Language, BASIC, and PC
MatLab\Simulink (16-bit ver. 4.2.c and 32-bit ver. 6.5 release 13 MatLab and
ver. 5.0 Simulink) and also has some experience with Neural Networks (NN) for
pattern recognition applications. He is currently becoming familiar with C\C++,
C#.NET and WindowsXP out of necessity since TeK Associates is currently
developing a low cost PC-based Kalman filter\smoother\ simulator\feedback
regulator control software package TK-MIP (demonstrated at IEEE Electro95 in Boston) for sale commercially that he
has authored along with the accompanying internal on-line user manual. His new
forte is Visual Basic (versions 3, 5, 6, and .NET) for truly compiled
executables, *.exes, using VBXs\OCXs, DLLs, DDE, OLE\COM\DCOM\COM+, and the Windows API for snappier performance on the PC
under both Windows 9x\ME and WindowsXP\Win2K\Vista\Win7\Win10 and the
associated third party tools. He is also involved in aspects of data
acquisition for PCs (e.g., DMA and
RS232\PCI\XVI\GPIB data buses and DAQ data acquisition cards and signal
conditioning and follows the evolving VITA standards for these protocols). TeK
Associates owns or licenses other necessary supporting software tools including
a Simulink-to-C cross-compiler and a wide variety of MatLab toolboxes, which he
has previously demonstrated to his students at Northeastern University. He is a
seasoned presenter of findings and discoveries, as personally prepared and
conveyed via PowerPointฎ\LaTeXฎ\Microsoft Wordฎ slides. He has published 130+
peer-reviewed journal papers and company reports summarizing new and innovative
results and his open literature publications have recently received 999+
citations from other independent authors and researchers worldwide, thus
endorsing their significance. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas_Kerr_Iii
His two adult sons also actively participate in the day-to-day activities and developments. His oldest son, Thomas H. Kerr IV, was a U. S. Marine in Information and Communications in Iraq and in the Pacific for 5 years and keeps things humming and in ship-shape condition at TeK Associates. His other son, Stephen M. Kerr (B.A. magma cum Laude from Williams College 02, Yale Law 2006), handles the legal issues regarding contracts, and intellectual property rights (trade-marks, copyrights, and patent infringement). Another family member, Aniece R. Kerr, is office manager and handles security, travel, record-keeping, finances, and our ample library of reference and technical books, conference proceedings, and continuing education videos, DVDs\CD-ROMs, and on-line learning references and searches (and, as his wife, and an experienced professional school librarian of 30+ years [for the Town of Brookline, now retired] is therefore the defacto head of TeK Associates). [She had previously run her own library at Heath School for many years as a middle school educator also responsible for their networked computers (its server, its backup, and debug) and multimedia visual aids (and their checkout and return and maintenance).] She has a B.A. in history from Tuskegee University (66), an M.S. in Library Science from Atlanta University (71), and was in the Peace Corps (67-69).
ท Professional Affiliations: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Life Senior Member (Automatic Control, Aerospace and Electronic Systems, Information Theory, Signal Processing, Computer Systems), Associate Fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Guidance, Control and Dynamics (had been a Senior Member but now is an AIAA GNC Associate Fellow since January 2012), Institute of Navigation (ION) since 1981, life member of National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) now renamed American Defense Preparedness Association (ADPA), Society of Optical Engineering (SPIE), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Mathematical Association of America (MAA) off and on, American Statistical Association (ASA) off and on, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) off and on, Visual Basic User's Group, Microsoft Developers' Network (MSDN) [Level 2], the Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society (ISA), and in New England Chinese Information & Networking Association (NECINA) [2005-Present].
ท Honors: Junior High Rensselaer (RPI) Medal
in 1960 for Mathematics and Science proficiency, High School National Honor
Society in 1962, High School Mathematics and Science Award in 1963, High
School Musician Award (and one year membership in professional musicians
union) in 1963, Tau Beta Pi, Pi Mu Epsilon (president of student chapter in his
senior year 66-67), Eta Kappa Nu, Sigma Pi Sigma, Western Electric Award (66),
Douglas Aircraft Award (67), Whos Who in American Schools and Colleges
(67), $340 Student
Prize Paper Contest Sponsored by the Federal Power Commission ('67), National Science Foundation Traineeship (68-70), Acting chairman
of Stochastic Control Session of IEEE Conf. on Decision & Control
(75), won 1988 M. Barry Carlton Award and $3000 honorarium
for Outstanding Paper to appear in IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems
Transactions in 87 [for further
confirmation, please see page 822 of Vol. 24, No. 6, Nov. 1988 of the
aforementioned journal], delivered invited lecture at University of
Iowa (1988), joined Sigma Xi (in 90), delivered Distinguished Engineer
Lecture at University of Maryland (UMBC on Feb. 1990), delivered invited
lecture at University of Connecticut (1995). Listed in Marquis Whos Who in
the East (92) and in Technology (93), and in the World (98),
and in the USA (03), and in Finance and Business (05), and in
America (06), and in Science and Engineering (06). Listed in Global
Register's Whos Who of Executives and Professionals (05). Chairman of
local Boston section of IEEE Control Systems 90-92, 01-04; chairman of its
Steering Committee 92-94, 04-06; vice-chairman of the local section 95-96,
98-00. Co-chairman of Sensors, Components, and Algorithms for
Navigation session at the Institute of Navigation (ION) Annual Summer
Conference (1999) in Cambridge, MA. Associate Fellow of AIAA GNC
(January 2012).
Thomas H. Kerr III, Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering
CEO\Principal Investigator\Consultant-for-hire\Chief Programmer\Web Master
and he may be contacted at:
TeK Associates
21 Cummings Park, Suite 230
Woburn, MA 01801
Let us represent you and protect your interests!
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