Found in 4 comments on Hacker News
Qworg · 2014-05-01 · Original thread
SEEKING WORK - Remote (On Site if Necessary)

Author of Hacking the Kinect (http://amzn.to/1aljFwQ). I'm a robotics guy looking for some side work. I'll solve your robotics/sensors/complicated hw/sw problems. I'm out of Cleveland area right now.

Skills: Sensor Fusion, Mathematical Filters, Localization, Planning, Kinematics, Sensors, Gesture Recognition and more. Computer Science is the easiest for me, but I've worked at every level (EE, ME). C/C++, Python, Java, Android, Go, Ladder, etc.

Project Examples:

* Hybrid Safety System (Perception, Sensor Fusion): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Xc4yq-rz0

* 38-Ton Self Driving Mining Trucks (Perception System): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlqV0BNVkKQ

* Paint Stripping Fighter Jets with a High Powered Laser (Sensor Fusion): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKmE2Bu3LqY

Github: https://github.com/Qworg

Email: [email protected]

Qworg · 2014-03-01 · Original thread
SEEKING WORK - Remote (On Site if Necessary)

Author of Hacking the Kinect (http://amzn.to/1aljFwQ). I'm a robotics guy looking for some side work. I'll solve your robotics problems. I'm out of Cleveland area right now.

Skills: Sensor Fusion, Mathematical Filters, Localization, Planning, Kinematics, Sensors and more. Computer Science is the easiest for me, but I've worked at every level (EE, ME). C/C++, Python, Java, Android, Go, Ladder, etc.

Project Examples:

* Hybrid Safety System (Perception, Sensor Fusion): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Xc4yq-rz0

* 38-Ton Self Driving Mining Trucks (Perception System): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlqV0BNVkKQ

* Paint Stripping Fighter Jets with a High Powered Laser (Sensor Fusion): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKmE2Bu3LqY

Github: https://github.com/Qworg

Email: [email protected]

Qworg · 2013-12-31 · Original thread
I'll give a "failure" story.

I was lead author for ebook/print book through Apress - _Hacking the Kinect_ - http://amzn.to/1aljFwQ

It was distributed in stores and online, as well as in ebook form. It has text, graphics, and code.

It generated not much past the initial upfront payment of ~$8000, spread across myself and 3 coauthors.

Reasons?

1) Niche topic, badly addressed. It was pretty hot at the time, but the number of people looking for a intermediate - advanced level text on 3D sensing was not as high as the number of people looking for "cool demo I can type in and make my SparkFun robot drive around a Coke can".

2) Published through agency. I appreciated Apress' work on marketing my book. Everything else I could have handled myself (and probably the marketing too). They also have tough terms - you have to be a knockout (4k+ units[1]) success in the technical book industry to really make money through publishers.

3) Bad print copy. The grayscale used for my book was too dark, blowing away some images. Apress did not want to fix this. I recommend the Kindle version to everyone I can.

Worth it? Yes. It is a great means to open doors and market yourself. Financially worth it? Not through a publisher.

[1] I can't cite this off the top of my head, but that's the number I recall from a few years ago.

Qworg · 2012-04-01 · Original thread
My book, Hacking the Kinect, came out: http://amzn.to/H8slu4

At work, we received release to show the world the Hybrid Safety System for robots: http://bit.ly/Hp818r

I also cut a demo for a stealth startup I'm working at. =)

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