The Engineering
and Artworks
of
Rick Fluck

I help people make their dreams become a reality. I have over 25 years of experience in the integration of systems and components, in both hardware and software design. This allows me to provide unique and timely product and prototype development services. I specialize in machine vision, data acquisition, and robotic systems development. Drop me a line and we can discuss your next project.

I started Controlled Capture Systems in 2002. This company provides software and hardware development and systems integration services to large and small companies. Systems Integration is a fancy name for interfacing electronic equipment and other components with electronic parts to make the system as a whole work in unison, hence my love for robotics and machine control.

I have been designing interface electronic circuits for various companies and systems since 1987, up to and including printed circuit board layout. Of course that was during the days before Computer Aided Design, so 4X tape ups of the PCB were the norm then. I now use Cadence/OrCAD and occasionally Eagle for layout work which is a godsend compared to tape up work on Mylar, and also due to the micro sized pitches of today's electronics.

I started programming computers when I bought a kit from Radio Shack in 1977 and during high school on a Commodore PET. I further learned more programming techniques in 1982 when I purchased a TI-99/4A and also when I was able to hack a friends Commodore 64 when we were at sea. From there I learned Basic, most forms of C, Perl, JAVA, C#, HTML, css, xml, php and other web programming languages. I have many firmware languages under my belt for various micro-controllers. I currently enjoy programming with Android, LabVIEW, and IMAQ (both of which are graphical programming and image processing languages), and OpenCV, an image processing library, and a few others that won't readily come to mind.

In 1980, I joined the US Navy Nuclear Power Program. As a nuke, I was stationed on several US nuclear submarines in Hawaii and in Washington state. Prior to joining the Navy I had three years of training from Devry, where I learned to design electronic circuits using anything from vacuum tubes to integrated circuits. This prior training allowed me to teach basic electronics to sailors in San Diego, while I awaited nuke school.

After the Navy in 1986, I repaired TVs, VCRs, and video cameras for RCA and Sylvania for a couple of years. Then in 1988, I helped start a company called Control Vision Inc.. There we designed several laser augmented video camera systems that could see through bright light of processes like arc welding and plasma spray. While at Control Vision I got into image processing and machine vision, using LabVIEW. Unfortunately, the owner of Control Vision retired prematurely and dissolved the local company location, so I started Controlled Capture Systems, my present company.

I have worked on many exciting projects during my career, including projects for NASA and the Department of Energy, where in 2003 we jointly developed a Concealed Weapons and Contraband Detection walk-through system, which produced one of the several US Patents that I hold on such systems. I produced another walk-through weapons detection system, which I patented, that is now marketed and sold by Passive Security Scan, Inc..

I especially enjoy helping people in taking their ideas and making them a reality. I have made many prototype designs for companies throughout the years and have helped start-up companies take their initial designs into full production systems. Gearing up for manufacturing is an aspect of my job that I enjoy, as it is an exciting time for any start-up company.

I recently completed the design of a development module that I call AndroiDAQ. This module gives data acquisition capabilities to Android tablets and phones, and other portable devices. The module has over 16-channels, all of which can be configured as either an input or output, which can provide a high/low digital levels, or they be configured as frequency measuring channels or frequency outputting channels. The module also has a separate 8-channel ADC that can be used for voltage measurements.

I designed the AndroiDAQ module as I wasn't happy with the number of channel offerings, limitations, size, and costs per channel of other commercially available data acquisition products currently on the market. I was also not satisfied with other simplistic project platforms like the Ardruino, for use on projects like hexapods, quadcopters and other complex robotic systems that need parallel processes, vice linear processes.

During my off time I enjoy working with wood, metal, plastics, and other mediums. I have wood and metal lathes and other machinery. I enjoy designing musical instruments, especially guitars and other stringed instruments. I have made several Cigar Box guitars which are shown on this site.

You can email me at: rfluck@controlcapture.com as I welcome inquiries and/or questions regarding how we can work together. I welcome custom work in electronics and software design, and the occasional inquire about custom musical instruments. Hope to hear from you soon.