Mike A. Horton
Encyclopedia
Mike A. Horton is the co-founder and current CEO of Crossbow Technology
, a company producing sensor technology and sensor-based systems.
, the second of two children of Claude Wendell Horton, Jr. and Elisabeth Alice Becker. Horton earned a B.S.
and an M.S.
in electrical engineering
from the University of California at Berkeley. Following his graduation, Horton co-founded Crossbow Technology
with his advisor A. Richard Newton
. In 2003, MIT’s Technology Review magazine named Mike Horton one of the top young innovators under 35.
sensor technology and experimenting with early acceleration sensors from the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Sensor as well as commercial prototypes form Analog Devices
, Horton and Newton decided to form a company to design and build products based on MEMS sensor technology. Crossbow Technology was founded in August, 1995. The company's initial vision was to leverage Microelectromechanical systems
based sensor technology for motion-based input devices which are now popular in video game systems such as the Nintendo Wii. Horton’s first two issued patents, 5,615,132 and 5,819,206, describe a motion-based computing system, using a plurality of accelerometers.
The company further refined the technology for application in commercial aerospace, and it became the first company to be approved by the FAA as a TSO (Technical Standard Order) holder FAA for a silicon Microelectromechanical systems
based Attitude and Heading Reference Systems
. An AHRS provides a solid-state replacement of unreliable mechanical gyroscopes as primary flight instruments thereby increasing the safety of general aviation aircraft. The company's MEMS-based inertial systems are also used in automated guidance of farm tractors and unmanned aerial vehicle
systems.
and David Culler to develop and produce commercially available hardware for the worldwide community of Smartdust
and TinyOS
research community. These hardware platforms became commonly known as "Motes". The company has produced several generations of "Motes" including the Mica2, Micaz, IRIS, iMote2, and TelosB. The devices and software are now in commercial use with applications ranging from crop monitoring to homeland security.
Crossbow Technology
Crossbow Technology, Inc. is a California-based company with two distinct product lines. One is based on MEMS and Fibre optic gyroscope inertial sensor systems. This includes inertial measurement units, AHRS systems, Digital Inclinometers and INS/GPS GN&C units. The other is based on GPS and...
, a company producing sensor technology and sensor-based systems.
Biography
Mike Horton was born October 23, 1973 in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, the second of two children of Claude Wendell Horton, Jr. and Elisabeth Alice Becker. Horton earned a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
and an M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
from the University of California at Berkeley. Following his graduation, Horton co-founded Crossbow Technology
Crossbow Technology
Crossbow Technology, Inc. is a California-based company with two distinct product lines. One is based on MEMS and Fibre optic gyroscope inertial sensor systems. This includes inertial measurement units, AHRS systems, Digital Inclinometers and INS/GPS GN&C units. The other is based on GPS and...
with his advisor A. Richard Newton
A. Richard Newton
Arthur Richard Newton was the dean of the University of California, Berkeley College of Engineering....
. In 2003, MIT’s Technology Review magazine named Mike Horton one of the top young innovators under 35.
Founding a Company
After exploring potential uses of silicon Microelectromechanical systemsMicroelectromechanical systems
Microelectromechanical systems is the technology of very small mechanical devices driven by electricity; it merges at the nano-scale into nanoelectromechanical systems and nanotechnology...
sensor technology and experimenting with early acceleration sensors from the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Sensor as well as commercial prototypes form Analog Devices
Analog Devices
Analog Devices, Inc. , known as ADI, is an American multinational semiconductor company specializing in data conversion and signal conditioning technology, headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts...
, Horton and Newton decided to form a company to design and build products based on MEMS sensor technology. Crossbow Technology was founded in August, 1995. The company's initial vision was to leverage Microelectromechanical systems
Microelectromechanical systems
Microelectromechanical systems is the technology of very small mechanical devices driven by electricity; it merges at the nano-scale into nanoelectromechanical systems and nanotechnology...
based sensor technology for motion-based input devices which are now popular in video game systems such as the Nintendo Wii. Horton’s first two issued patents, 5,615,132 and 5,819,206, describe a motion-based computing system, using a plurality of accelerometers.
The company further refined the technology for application in commercial aerospace, and it became the first company to be approved by the FAA as a TSO (Technical Standard Order) holder FAA for a silicon Microelectromechanical systems
Microelectromechanical systems
Microelectromechanical systems is the technology of very small mechanical devices driven by electricity; it merges at the nano-scale into nanoelectromechanical systems and nanotechnology...
based Attitude and Heading Reference Systems
Attitude and Heading Reference Systems
An attitude heading reference system consists of sensors on three axes that provide heading, attitude and yaw information for aircraft. They are designed to replace traditional mechanical gyroscopic flight instruments and provide superior reliability and accuracy.AHRS consist of either solid-state...
. An AHRS provides a solid-state replacement of unreliable mechanical gyroscopes as primary flight instruments thereby increasing the safety of general aviation aircraft. The company's MEMS-based inertial systems are also used in automated guidance of farm tractors and unmanned aerial vehicle
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
systems.
Wireless Sensor Networks
Starting in 2001, Mike Horton worked with UC Berkeley professor's Kristofer S. J. PisterKristofer S. J. Pister
Kristofer S. J. Pister is a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at University of California, Berkeley and the founder and CTO of Dust Networks...
and David Culler to develop and produce commercially available hardware for the worldwide community of Smartdust
Smartdust
Smartdust is a hypothetical system of many tiny microelectromechanical systems such as sensors, robots, or other devices, that can detect, for example, light, temperature, vibration, magnetism or chemicals; are usually networked wirelessly; and are distributed over some area to perform tasks,...
and TinyOS
TinyOS
TinyOS is a free and open source component-based operating system and platform targeting wireless sensor networks . TinyOS is an embedded operating system written in the nesC programming language as a set of cooperating tasks and processes. It is intended to be incorporated into smartdust...
research community. These hardware platforms became commonly known as "Motes". The company has produced several generations of "Motes" including the Mica2, Micaz, IRIS, iMote2, and TelosB. The devices and software are now in commercial use with applications ranging from crop monitoring to homeland security.