portrait

Karl J. Obermeyer

Applied Mathematician & Software Engineer

About

I develop algorithms and engineer software systems. Most of my experience has been in machine perception (esp. detection and tracking), motion planning, and vehicle routing. To solve problems in these areas, I enjoy using a blend of controls, dynamics, numerics, combinatorics, optimization, statistics, machine learning, and computational geometry. I am currently working as a consultant/contractor and open source contributor. In the past I have held positions at a government lab, an aerospace tracking company, and a computer vision startup. I hold a BS+MS in applied math from CU Boulder and a PhD in engineering from UCSB.

Publications

For citing convenience, here is a [BibTeX file].

Journal Articles

  1. S. G. Manyam, S. Rathinam, S. Darbha, and K. J. Obermeyer. Lower Bounds for a Vehicle Routing Problem with Motion Constraints. International Journal of Robotics and Automation, 2015.
  2. K. J. Obermeyer, P. Oberlin, and S. Darbha. Sampling-Based Path Planning for a Visual Reconnaissance UAV. AIAA Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 2012. [pdf]
  3. K. J. Obermeyer, A. Ganguli, and F. Bullo. Multi-Agent Deployment for Visibility Coverage in Polygonal Environments with Holes. International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, 2011. [pdf]
  4. K. J. Obermeyer, A. Ganguli, and F. Bullo. A Complete Algorithm for Searchlight Scheduling. International Journal of Computational Geometry and Applications, 2011. [pdf] [remarks]

Conference Proceedings

  1. J. Adaska, K. Obermeyer, and E. Schmidt. Robust Probabilistic Conflict Prediction for Sense and Avoid. American Control Conference, June 2014. Note: Received best-in-session award. [pdf]
  2. S. G. Manyam, S. Rathinam, S. Darbha, and K. J. Obermeyer. Computation of a Lower Bound for a Vehicle Routing Problem with Motion Constraints. ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference, October 2012. [pdf]
  3. K. J. Obermeyer, P. Oberlin, and S. Darbha. Sampling-Based Roadmap Methods for a Visual Reconnaissance UAV. AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, August 2010. [pdf] [errata]
  4. K. J. Obermeyer. Path Planning for a UAV Performing Reconnaissance of Static Ground Targets in Terrain. AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, August 2009. [pdf] [vignette]
  5. K. J. Obermeyer, A. Ganguli, and F. Bullo. Asynchronous Distributed Searchlight Scheduling. IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, December 2007. [pdf]

Dissertation

  1. K. J. Obermeyer. Visibility Problems for Sensor Networks and Unmanned Air Vehicles. PhD Dissertation, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, June 2010. [pdf] [defense slides] [remarks/errata]

Software

  1. K. J. Obermeyer and Contributors. VisiLibity: A C++ Library for Visibility Computations in Planar Polygonal Environments. 2008.

Miscellaneous

  1. K. J. Obermeyer, A. Ganguli, and F. Bullo. Multi-Agent Deployment for Visibility Coverage in Polygonal Environments with Holes. Available at http://arxiv.org/abs/cs/0701077, September 2010.
  2. K. J. Obermeyer, A. Ganguli, and F. Bullo. Asynchronous Distributed Searchlight Scheduling. Available at http://arxiv.org/abs/cs/0701077, January 2007.

Personal

Aside from technical work, I like to play in the mountains, in water, or on water. Hiking and rock climbing are my favorites, but I have also been known to bike, ski, snowboard, ice climb, surf, sail, kayak, and dive. To celebrate victories, large or small, I sometimes compose and play music. Here's to completing this webpage:

Feel free to browse [my bookshelf].

Gratuitous Quotes

"There are 2 types of people in the world: proud Bayesians and closet Bayesians."
-Yaakov Bar-Shalom, c. 2001

"Set your heart on coding mindfully. Do it over and over again, and you will be filled with joy. The hasty coder is happy until their mischief turns against them, and the mindful coder may suffer until their goodness flowers."
-Buddha, c. 500 BCE

"Roughly 2 out of every 3 quotes you find on the internet are fabrications."
-Abraham Lincoln, 1862