Aaron Toney's Resume

Aaron P. Toney

aaron.toney(at)hhhh.org

Summary
	I have 13 years experience bringing technology from ideas to working prototypes. In that time my positions have ranged from contractor to lead researcher. My greatest experience, and PhD, lay in the area of prototyping body worn or carried devices. While my research interests are broad they are centered around the problems of engineering for and around people, especially when they are mobile. Developing digital electronics and firmware for embedded systems are my core competencies. I strive to have a broad skill set including many aspects of rapid prototyping such as machining, CAD, and the latest automated fabrication technologies.
Contact Information
	Current contact information is maintained at the following URL: http://www.hhhh.org/~joeboy/contact_info.html.
Education
	B.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, 1998 Ph.D. in Computer Information Technology, University of South Australia, 2008 Presidential Scholar 2003 - 2007 Thesis title: Garment Integrated and Deployable Technology
Experience
	Nokia Research Los Angeles, CA April 2010 - Present Senior Researcher 2 - Interaction Ecologies Senior researcher in the Interaction Ecologies Group responsible for the development of new body worn user interface devices. The group's focus is on the usage opportunities for collections of mobile devices when used together in a single aggregate interface. Representative work includes creating Bluetooth-enabled rings and glasses to act as body worn sensor platforms, research into new eye tracking technologies for use in near eye displays, and exploration of emerging low power wireless technologies.
	Purple Crayon Issaquah, WA January 2009 - March 2010 Company co-founder Co-founded Purple-crayon, a small startup focused on developing consumer desktop manufacturing technology intended for use in the home. Initial products included a 3-axis CNC mill and a 3D scanner. I was responsible for both the mechanical and electrical engineering of all the company's products.
	Consulting at Microsoft Hardware, Redmond, WA October 2007 - December 2008 Contract with Emerging Product Group Member of a small concepting team tasked with developing technologies that could be rapidly integrated into new products in under an eighteen-month timeframe. I was typically given a general area in which to target innovation and tasked with developing potential products or improvements to existing products. During my time in this group I was responsible for developing a low power camera focusing mechanism, methods for magnetically tracking a mouse wheel, and several low powered mechanical actuators.
	Wearable Computing Laboratory, UniSA Adelaide, Australia March 2003 - March 2007 Ph.D. Student My thesis research focused on developing new ways to support mobile users, and there were three related but distinct branches to this work. The first branch of my thesis research focused on studying the social consequences of using mobile technology. This research focused on how to design technology so as to minimize the unintended social consequences arising from a technology's use. The second branch of my thesis research focused on garment integration of technology. When technology is integrated directly into clothing the act of getting dressed also instruments the user. Garment integration is attractive as it provides coverage of the user and connection to the environment without requiring the user explicitly carry and use separate devices. The third branch of my thesis research focused on carried devices. This research was concerned with device "deployment", as when mobile users set down a device to temporarily instrument a space with sensors or user interface elements.
	Independent Consultant Seattle, WA August 2002 - February 2003 Self Employed Consultant Worked a diverse set of contracts ranging from re-engineering and maintenance of legacy embedded systems, to developing smart juggling equipment able to detect and respond to the current pattern being performed.
	AppliedTheory Bellevue, WA June 2000 - July 2002 Senior Wireless Consultant Founding member of Applied Theory's wireless consulting group. Rapidly developed demonstration prototypes of mobile applications as part of bidding on large contracts with wireless and mobile components.
	CircusSystems Seattle, WA July 1999 - March 2001 Corporate officer / Product Development Co-founder and corporate officer of Circus Systems. As a co-founder I was responsible for the company's first two rounds of fundraising, and the day-to-day logistics of running the company. As the head of hardware development I led the development of the company's primary product, an Intel StrongARM based single board computer (SBC) targeted for use as a personal server in wearable and mobile computing applications.

Email -- joeboy(at)hhhh.org
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