Dr. James M. Hilkert

Founder (1994) of Alpha-Theta Technologies which is a consulting company specializing in precision line-of-sight control applications. Capabilities include control system & filter design, system configuration, gyro & sensor specification, motor / actuator specification, Matlab / Simulink system analysis & simulation, and precision mechanism and electronics design support. Major clients include Raytheon, Northrop Grummen, General Dynamics, DRS, Atlantic Positioning and the U.S. Navy (NRL and NAWC).

Previously employed (20 yrs) by Texas Instruments Defense Systems (now Raytheon) where he managed the Control Systems Technology Center consisting of 25+ senior engineers and an inertial navigation lab which supported the development of over 100 surviellance, target tracking and missile guidance systems. Earlier provided systems engineering and design development engineering on a variety of gimballed mass and mirror line-of-sight control systems.

Teaches SPIE 160 (see below) and is currently a part-time instructor at the University of Texas at Dallas where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in control systems.