Full name: James Michael Matthews
Job title: Research Engineer (II)
Education: 2003: B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology; 2005: M.S., Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology; 2008: M.S., Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology
Areas of research expertise: Computer/Machine Vision; Software Development/Programming; Unmanned Systems/Robotics
List of any poultry industry projects you're working on and your role: Intelligent Cutting: Programming and Vision Analysis (I also work on other food projects: Bun Oven Control and Midline Inspection Systems)
Aspects of work in this industry that I enjoy most include: That we are researching current real-world problems; that we develop prototypes quickly, and may see them applied in 1 to 3 years; that we work closely with those in the field, addressing their day-to-day practical concerns.
A talent I wish I had: I wish I could speed read. Right now it takes me forever to read anything, and subsequently I'm less inclined to pick up a book, and I don't read as much as I should. The stack of books that I'm in the middle of is larger than the stack that I've finished. Hmmm, I guess I should wish that I'd stay interested in stuff longer and finish everything, but that'd just be boring...
Another occupation I'd like to try: Graphics and Simulation Programmer for the Video Game Industry, an industry where the day-to-day work is synonymous with cutting edge research in the field. (I'd probably be there now, but live robots are just too cool.)
My first job: Tae Kwon Do Instructor
If I could meet someone famous, who would it be and why: I have no idea. I don't really get the hype with celebs, so I guess someone who is really successful at making a passion their occupation, so I could get some hints. Perhaps Burt Rutan, he has created a long list of very cool aircraft that push the envelope; has a successful small company to do it, Scaled Composites; and seems to be good at attracting high-profile sponsors like Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin Group.
One thing people may not know about me: I hate math. People seem to think that because I'm always deriving equations and drawing stuff all over large white boards that I must love it. But to me it's just a sometimes useful way of solving problems, and, consequently, something important to be good at. In general, though, I think it makes simple concepts very hard to understand. If you are trying to solve something by manipulating a bunch of equations, then in the end you often end up with an overcomplicated result that you may not be able to translate back into a simple idea. It really annoys me when people explain something with math, to me that means they don't really understand it at all. After deriving a result, you must figure out what it means, or you haven't really finished yet. After that, I also think it's important to compare the result with alternative ways of solving the problem, so that you can fully wrap your head around the interplay between everything involved. (This is one reason I got into computer science, where you can keep the details simple, and use high-powered computing to lead to complex and unexpected results that you could never write down on paper.)
My day would not be complete without:...eating some type of junk food. I love the pastry section at the grocery store the best. I'm told that I shouldn't consider that stuff breakfast food, but to me it is. Oh, and cheese, especially cheddar. I wonder if I've ever gone a full day without having cheese on something.
The last book I read: Amazonia by James Rollins: an entertaining sci-fi story of biology and medicine in the Amazon.
The last movie I saw: Salt, and I think I'm now going to be too into the spy genre.
My favorite song: Bring Me to Life, Evanescence (a short-lived group, but an excellent set of songs.)
My motto: Always push yourself to be the best, and to do things the right, ideal, and efficient way, no matter what! (... or you can't grow, you'll get left behind, and it'll cost you more in the long run.)
My hobbies: Martial Arts, Weight Lifting, Volleyball, Watching Movies, Watching (far too much) Tivo, Playing my PS3 (when my Tivo is empty), Reading on occasion, and dealing with a never-ending list of house and car problems.