Daniel James Reetz Resume Summer 2023

I am a displays engineer and fast prototyper with a strong background in human vision.

I own a fab facility featuring CNC machining, waterjet cutting, CO2 laser cutting, fiber laser engraving, 3D printing, 3D scanning, MIG, TIG, and YAG laser welding, UV/IR imaging, photometry, spectroscopy, and microphotography.

Bring me your new product idea or R&D challenge for unusually fast answers -- I am known for speed.

WORK EXPERIENCE:

Vice Chief, LLC. California, USA | Founder | 05/2017 - present

• Founded Vice Chief - optomechanical special projects.
• Prototype development at the intersection of human vision, mechanics, and optics.
• Highlights: AR/VR headwear - Superbowl 2018 halftime show - ultra-bright display systems - futuristic microscopes - fluidic lenses - opthalmic devices - face authentication.
• Contact me with your tough problems and quick-turn jobs.
• chief@vicechief.com

Apple, Inc. California, USA | Sr. Display Exploration Engineer/Sr. HW Engineer (Special Projects Group) | 04/2015-04/2017

• Display systems R&D/prototyping.

Disney Research. Glendale, California, USA | Senior Research Associate | 05/2010-05/2011, 09/2011-10/2014

• Projects spanned proof-of-concept miniatures to large scale systems-of-displays.
• Prototyped and deployed hardware in harsh environments (Kennedy Space Center, Vietnam, Nicaragua)
• Rapid-prototyped displays, light field projection systems, and camera arrays.
• Inventor on ten patents, including autostereo displays, an instant 3D printer, and a light saber.
• The majority of my rapid prototyping and R&D work cannot be disclosed.

Internet Archive. San Francisco, California, USA | Engineer | 06/2011-09/2011

• An exploratory project with the Internet Archive to see how DIY Book Scanning could work for them.
• Rapid prototyped book scanners and DIY spectrometers.
• 2014: My scanner design became the "TT Scribe".
• The TT Scribe was a finalist for a ten million dollar grant.

NDSU Center for Visual Neuroscience. Fargo, North Dakota, USA | Ph.D. Student | 01/2007-05/2010

• Studied brightness perception until the building collapsed. Didn't finish my degree- accepted offer from Disney.
• Created and calibrated displays and vision science instrumentation.
• Ran experiments, collected data, edited/published papers.
• Hacked the Brightside DR-37P for vision science use.
• Developed/published laser-dot apparatus for attention research.

WWWIC Group, Fargo, North Dakota, USA | 3D Modeler/Artist | 08/2003-12/2006

• Modeled and textured game-ready Native American artifacts from images and archaeological records.
• Modeled and textured environments, avatars, and 2D graphics for the Geology Explorer virtual environment.
• Created 3D objects for a stereoscopic video of the On-A-Slant Mandan Indian Village.
• Captured large reference photo datasets for modeling and texturing in Maya.
SKILLS:

I specialize in fast physical and digital prototyping of displays and technical products.
Display prototyping. I make new displays from other displays. Systems of displays.
Parametric modeling - I speak SpaceClaim, Fusion360, Blender, and Solidworks.
3D printing (Resin/FDM/SLS - and DFM for each platform).
MIG and TIG welding, soldering and brazing.
Laser welding. Own a 60W YAG.
CNC programming and machining.
Expert in book scanning technology.
Highly skilled laser cutter operator, can field strip and calibrate lasers.
Sewing and serging on consumer and industrial hardware.
Experienced with display and camera calibration - HDR and Lenticular, too.
Image editing, texture generation, photogrammetry, camera hacking and modification, arraying of cameras.
Academically trained in Sculpture at Minnesota State University Moorhead. I speak both ID and Art Department.
Basic Python, Arduino, and Matlab & command line competent. I can get it done, but don't hire me to write code.
PATENTS:

• US20220163702A1: Dog bone shaped cylindrical tunable fluidic lens with minimized defocus
• US20150091215A1: Fabricating lightweight skin systems for large scale robotic characters
• US20230232930A1: Customizable snap cover for open face helmets
• US20220040777A1: Welding system with breath-based control
• US20180253609: System and method for light and image projection
• US20190164344: System and method for interactive scene projection
• US20130082905A1: Multi-layer plenoptic displays that combine multiple emissive and light modulating planes
• US20130069933A1: Transparent multi-view mask for 3d display systems
• US20130002815A1: Drawing system for providing a real time, personalized, and immersive artistic experience
• US20150091215A1: Fabricating lightweight skin systems for large scale robotic characters
• US20130083291A1: Autostereoscopic display system with one dimensional (1d) retroreflective screen
• US20120313839A1: Advanced pepper's ghost projection system with a multiview and multiplanar display
• US20160107380A1: 3D printer with near instantaneous object printing using a photo-curing liquid
• US20140198221A1: Image capture device calibration
• US8823702B2: Volumetric display with rim-driven, varifocal beamsplitter and high-speed, addressable backlight
• US9212805B2: Special effects system using retroreflections to create an illusion of glowing toys and props
• US9778741B2: System and method for providing a three dimensional (3D) immersive artistic experience and interactive drawing environment

PUBLICATIONS:

Erol Ozgur, Daniel Reetz, Farhad Akhoundi, Nicholas O’Brien, Jaclyn Wycoff, Ram Voorakaranam, Pierre-Alexandre Blanche, Lloyd LaComb, Chen Liang, Gholam Peyman, AND N. Peyghambarian Parametric dog-bone-shaped tunable cylindrical fluidic lens. Applied Optics Vol. 60, No. 16 (June 1, 2021)

Quinn Y. J. Smithwick, Daniel Reetz, Lanny Smoot. LCD masks for spatial augmented reality. Proc. SPIE 9011, Stereoscopic Displays and Applications XXV, 90110O (March 6, 2014)

Ranieri, N., Heinzle, S., Smithwick, Q., Reetz, D., Smoot, L. S., Matusik, W. and Gross, M. (2012), Multi-Layered Automultiscopic Displays. Computer Graphics Forum, 31: 2135–2143.

Lanny Smoot, Quinn Smithwick, and Daniel Reetz. 2011. A volumetric display based on a rim-driven varifocal beamsplitter and LED backlit LCD. In ACM SIGGRAPH 2011 Emerging Technologies (SIGGRAPH '11). ACM, New York, NY, USA, , Article 22 , 1 pages.

Reetz, D. The Why in DIY Book Scanning. New York Law School Review.

Simon-Dack SL, Cummings SE, Reetz DJ, Alvarez Vazquez E, Gu H, Teder-Sälejärvi, WA. “Touched” by light: Event-related potentials (ERPs) to visuo-haptic stimuli in peri-personal space. Brain Topography (special issue: multimodal processing).

Blakeslee, B., Reetz, D., & McCourt, M. (2008). Spatial filtering versus anchoring accounts of brightness in staircase and simultaneous brightness contrast stimuli [Abstract]. Journal of Vision, 8(6):285, 285a, http://journalofvision.org/8/6/285/, doi:10.1167/8.6.285.

McCourt, M., Blakeslee, B. & Reetz, D. (2008). Coming to terms with lightness and brightness: effects of stimulus configuration and instructions on brightness and lightness judgments [Abstract]. Journal of Vision, 8(6):291, 291a, http://journalofvision.org/8/6/291/

Hokanson, Guy, Otto Borchert, Brian M. Slator, Jeff Terpstra, Jeffrey T. Clark, Lisa M. Daniels, Heather R. Anderson, Aaron Bergstrom, Thomas A. Hanson, John Reber, Dan Reetz, Kari L. Weis, Ryan White, Lauren Williams (In Press, 2008). Studying Native American Culture in an Immersive Virtual Environment. Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technology (ICALT-2008). IEEE Computer Society Press. Santander, Spain.

Clark, J., Snider, D., Bergstrom, A., Frovarp, R., Reetz, D., Slator, B. & White, R. (2004). On-a-Slant: A Mandan Village in Virtual Time and Space. Interdisciplinarity or The Best of Both Worlds, VAST2004, 57-58.

Brandt, L., Borchert, O., Addicott, K., Cosmano, B., Hawley, J., Hokanson, G., Reetz, D., Saini-Eidukat, B., Schwert, D., Slator, B., & Tomac, S. (2006). Roles, Culture, and Computer Supported Collaborative Work on Planet Oit. Journal of Advanced Technology for Learning. 3(2), 89-98 (Expanded Revision of CATE-05, below);

Brandt, L., Borchert, O., Addicott, K., Cosmano, B., Hawley, J., Hokanson, G., Reetz, D., Saini-Eidukat, B., Schwert, D., Slator, B. & Tomac, S. (2005). Roles, Culture, and Computer Supported Collaborative Work on Planet Oit. Proceedings of the Eighth IASTED International Conference on Computers and Advanced Technology in Education (CATE-05), Oranjestad, Aruba, August 29-31, 129-134;

Bergstrom, A., Clark, J., Snider, D., Frovarp, R., Reetz, D., Slator, B., Landrum, J. & White, R. (2005) In Press). On-A-Slant Virtual Village: Constructing a 3D Stereo Imaging Exhibit. The World Is in your Eyes. Proceedings, Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology, Tomar, Portugal, March 21-24;

Slator, B., Borchert, O., Brandt, L., Chaput, H., Erickson, K., Groesbeck, G., Halvorson, J., Hawley, J., Hokanson, G., Reetz, D. & Vender, B. (2007). From Dungeons to Classrooms: The evolution of MUDs as learning environments. Evolution of Technology and Pedagogy. Berlin:Springer-Verlag;

Clark, J., Slator, B., Bergstrom, A., Snider, D., Douglas, Frovarp, R., Landrum, J., Reetz, D., White, R. & Johnson, C. (2006). On-A-Slant Village, A Virtual Immersive Experience. Presentation in 3D Virtual Reality Session, Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology Conference, Fargo, ND, USA, April 18-21;

Bergstrom, A., Clark, J., Snider, D., Frovarp, R., Reetz, D., Slator, B., Landrum, J. & White, R. (2005). On-A-Slant Virtual Village: Constructing a 3D Stereo Imaging Exhibit. Proceedings, Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology Conference, Tomar, Portugal, March 21-24, 2005;

Clark, J., Snider, D., Bergstrom, A., Frovarp, R., Reetz, D., Slator, B. & White, R. (2004). On-a-Slant: A Mandan Village in Virtual Time and Space. Paper presented at VAST 2004 Conference, Brussels, December 7-10, 2004.

EDUCATION

• NDSU combined Masters/PhD in Visual Neuroscience - left after third year to work for Disney Research.
• B.A., Sculpture. Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, Minnesota.
• Solidworks Training Course.
• Maya Accelerator Training Course.
• Zemax Training Course.

INVITED TALKS:

• Open Hardware Summit 2011 - NYC.
• Personal Archiving. 2011 - SF.
• MIT Media Lab. 2010 - Boston.
• UND Lecture Series. 2010 - Grand Forks.
• Harvard Berkman Center. 2010 - Boston.
• MSUM Contemporary Art, Design, and Theory, 2010 - Moorhead.
• Public Knowledge "Worlds Fair Use Day" 2010 - D.C.
• New York Law School "D is for Digitize", 2009 - NYC.
• MSUM Contemporary Art, Design, and Theory, 2009 - Moorhead.
• MSUM Contemporary Art, Design, and Theory, 2007 - Moorhead.

EXHIBITIONS AND AWARDS:

• Ars Electronica, 2013.
• Maker Faire Editor's Choice, 2011.
• Engadget Kindle Laser Art Contest, 2009.
• Epilog Grand Challenge Winner, 2009.
• Fargo Winter Carnival, 2009.
• NDSU Student Art Show, 2009.
• NDSU Student Photography Show, 2008.
• Photographs by Dan Reetz, Artview at the Plains Art Museum, 2007
• Mediated, Clarion University Gallery, 2006
• MSUM Art Department Merit Scholarship, 2002-2004.
• MSUM Senior Show, Roland Dille Gallery, 2004.
• Fargo Winter Carnivale 2, 2004.
• Polaroid Show, Moxie Java Juried Exhibition, 2003.
• Conceptual Art: an International Phenomena, 2003.
• Like a Rock, Only Dumber- Anti War Show, 2003.
• Fargo Winter Carnival, 2003.
• Sanitizer, 280ft Cubed Space, 2003.
• Shock and Awe in Photovision Magazine, 2002.
• 2nd Place MSUM Memorial Gallery Juried Exhibition, 2002.
• Risperidone (Collaborative effort with Janet Biggs) Team Gallery, NYC.
• MSUM Memorial Gallery Juried Exhibition, 2001.
• BAGA First Place and People's Choice Awards (Painting).
• Adfed Award For Creative Design (Drawing).
• BAGA Juried Award for Excellence.