Volvo Trucks
Since February of 2022 I have been developing instrument cluster software for Volvo Trucks in Greensboro, NC. Though the software is built on a unified git repository, it can be installed on a variety of vehicles and adapt to the features and Electronic Control Units available to it. Throughout this process, I have engaged with the entire engineering development cycle. This included developing software to meet complex system requirements, creating user interfaces and icons, working with a team of test engineers to debug and improve the user experience, and successfully releasing software to global production.
Since January 2024, I have served as the Product Owner for the instrument clusters integrated into the current production models of Volvo and Mack long haul and vocational vehicles. This role has afforded me the opportunity to engage with a fresh facet of the development process and allowed me to play key a role in the full production cycle of all aspects of the vehicle.
John Deere
From August of 2020 to November 2021 I worked as a Software Engineer for John Deere in Waterloo, Iowa. During this time I supported the Wiring Harness and Engine Control teams by utilizing Simulink and C++ to create new firmware and automate tests for our devices. In collaborating with my scrum team, I gained experience debugging large complex subsystems, maintaining a code repository using git and agile systems, and participating in the design review process.
Project D.O.G. (Drone on Guard)
The purpose of this project is to design and implement a “drone on a leash” a drone that can be remotely controlled normally, but when attached to a leash, behaves autonomously by keeping tension on the leash. The drone won’t fight the leash, but will instead move with it, keeping the angle between the leash and the drone constant. This allows for easy control and an extra level of safety in public places since the aircraft is restrained to a small area of motion. This was implemented by assembling a standard racing drone and programming a Beaglebone Blue to control it. The addition of a joystick to the bottom provides a measurement of angular position in relation to a leash attached to it. By pulling on the leash, the pilot can change the angle of the joystick causing the drone to reposition itself accordingly. This control is implemented through the use of a PID controller and the Guided Flight Mode of MavLink.
Visit https://beagleboard.org/p/drone-on-guard/drone-on-a-leash-feed4e for more info
Integration of Smart Manufacturing Technologies
The objective for this project was to provide the faculty and students of the Department of Biomaterials at NCSU a method of analyzing data from the pilot plant machine located on campus. Up to this point students took measurements by hand, keeping track of data via a paper filing system and hand calculations. Our design implemented automatic data collection, uploading, and analysis and utilized IBM Cloud Services to store the data in a DB2 database. This data is currently available to NCSU students and faculty via a Heroku website we built using IBM’s Cloud API.
Ryan Unger 