Hi, I’m James

I’m a Traveler

Seeing the wide world

September 25, 2017

Touring Ireland 2017 – Overview

Amy and I traveled to Ireland in late September 2017, hitting Dublin, Kinsale, Portmagee, Dingle, and Galway, as well as a number of other sites in between. I’m resurrecting this blog in lieu of keeping a trip journal, which we typically start and then fail to continue about halfway through a trip. While I am […]

Touring Ireland – Trim Castle

The second stop on our first day was Trim Castle, a Norman castle dating back over 800 years. The sun was shining and we toured the grounds inside the ruins for an hour before taking a tour of the keep. The hour long tour took us through 3 floors of the impressive stone structure, up to the roof for an impressive view. We learned that originally the entire keep was whitewashed, which besides signaling wealth and power from afar, also served to disinfect the otherwise dingy and dirty castle walls (the wash included lye).

The distinctive cross-shaped fortress was constructed over a thirty year span starting in 1176, and was home to Hugh de Lacy and his heirs. The keep tour was well worth the €5

Saugus Iron Works

Apparently there is a National Historic Site within 10 minutes of our apartment, the Saugus Iron Works. It lies on the Saugus River, just off of Route 1. Since the likelihood of having weather as nice as it was today before next Spring is slim, we figured it was a good time to check it […]

I’m an Engineer

Mechanical design, prototyping, and CAD

November 19, 2017

Kinsa Smart Thermometer (bdg)

The Kinsa Smart Thermometer is a smart-phone connected fast reading thermometer. Design and testing tasks included: Evaluation and comparison of thermistor components Strain and deflection analysis of elastomer tip Perform hipot testing with electrical partner Design led to 510(k) clearance by the FDA

Endo360° Suturing Device (bdg)

The Endo360° Suturing Device is a surgical instrument that uses curved suturing needles for endoscopic, minimally-invasive procedures. Engineering tasks included: Work with manufacturer to identify and resolve troublesome tolerance areas. Evaluate candidate alloys for both distal tip and needle construction. Finite element analysis on drive pawl system to optimize tip geometry for device life. Participate […]

Leaf Point of Sale Tablet (bdg)

The LeafPresenter is a custom Android tablet with integrated credit card reader. Work on the Leaf project included: Concept brainstorming and prototyping of novel charging stand and tablet assemblies. Feasibility modeling for intended use and foreseeable misuse cases. Competitive product research and comparison studies.

I’m a Photographer

At least, I’m learning