DR. LUKE TORNABENE
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
OutsideInnovation helped launch our research by designing and constructing a device to catch small fishes, which could be attached to the front of the Idabel submersible and operated by the scientists and pilot within. The team was particularly receptive to making sure their designs fully captured the nuanced challenges of what we were asking it to do; capturing a 2-cm-long fish with a tool attached to a nearly 3-ton steel container at depths exceeding 300 m is no small task. The final product we decided on was a system that dispersed a liquid fish-anesthetic to the outside of the submersible, such that a controlled amount of the liquid could be sprayed at will into crevices to knock out fish. The second major component of this system was a suction device that enabled us to capture the anesthetized fish and deposit them directly into a clear acrylic chamber.
DR. ROSS ROBERTSON
SMITHSONIAN TROPICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
OutsideInnovation also set up a temperature/depth logger that will record temperature profiles of dives made by Idabel over the next 1-2 years. They handled the vast majority of the software troubleshooting, showcasing strong programming and computation skill.
We travelled to the Roatan Institute of Deep-sea Exploration in the summer of 2017 to field test these new tools. Construction and installation of both devices were completed well before our arrival. The system operated perfectly, and the sensitivity of the controls was superb. OutsideInnovation worked with us extensively over the 6-day trial runs, helping with subtle, on-the-fly adjustments to the storage chamber and anesthetic flow rates.
In summary, our research in Roatan simply would not have happened without the engineering expertise and superb service of OutsideInnovation. The commitment to their craft and their customers is perhaps matched only by the genuine interest in the scientific research objectives of the clients.
GREG LANGLEY
FORMER CEO OF SYNCRONESS ENGINEERING
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Tom is one of the most creative problem solvers I know but what really separates him from others is his tenacity to accomplish a goal. The drive and energy level that he brings to any problem is inspiring. If it’s a technology he has not worked with before, he will research, get on the phone, email and connect with as many experts on the topic as he can and will quickly learn what is important. Many people are intelligent but few are as quick to pick up a phone and learn from as many sources as possible to achieve the objective.
MARK SODERBERG
FORMER CEO BOA TECHNOLOGY
I would like to sincerely recommend OutsideInnovation as a truly brilliant engineering team and problem solver. They have a wide array of tools, experience, and knowledge to draw from and also they aren't afraid to reach out quickly in whatever direction is necessary to find solutions. They are also outstanding for their speed. I like to use the term "fast fail" and OutsideInnovation is excellent at understanding the requirements, the problem space, formulating a systematic attack, and then moving quickly as new information is gleaned. While at Boa, they demonstrated this repeatedly as they were used on the most difficult R&D problems because we knew they would give us our best chance of success and bring new, open-minded thinking to the challenge. I would highly recommend OutsideInnovation for tackling your most difficult problems.
GARY HANCOCK
HEAD OF ENGINEERING AT
AQUATICA SUBMARINES
I have worked with Tom and OutsideInnovation on both subsea expeditions and engineering design projects where we engaged him as a consultant. His hands-on field experience, analytical knowledge, and professionalism were refreshing and valuable during component design. And I would welcome the opportunity to sail with him on future expeditions.
KARL STANLEY
FOUNDER AND PILOT AT THE ROATAN INSTITUTE OF DEEPSEA EXPLORATION
OutsideInnovation has been doing engineering work for me for 7 years. The jobs they have performed run the gauntlet from new design, R&D, post-manufacturing FEA, and custom machined solutions. They have finished each job on time and to the highest levels of completion.
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They are also excellent at keeping the contractor in the loop, understanding each step of the design process, and meticulous at keeping track of hours spent so you know just where your money went.
I have recommended them to many friends and colleagues. I trust their work with my life.
JOHN TRUCHEL
VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCT AT ORTHOFI
I had the pleasure to work with Thomas and the OutsideInnovation team during a 4-month proof-of-concept machine learning solution engagement at OrthoFi. The data parsing and sophisticated healthcare business rules aspects of the POC solution made this a particularly complex challenge.
Thomas is an outstanding consultant and project leader with a clear handle on how to position, justify, design, and build data-driven solutions that included big data sets and sophisticated algorithms. His team was able to develop elements of the POC in weeks where most teams would have needed multiple months.
Thomas demonstrated a consistently strong range of abilities from technical leadership through program management. He understands the broader set of organizational, business, and technology drivers required to deliver innovative solutions that can actually be leveraged by end users.I look forward to working with Thomas and the OutsideInnovation team again in the future.
RITTIM NANDI
FOUNDER AT AIRION DYNAMICS
I’ve had the honour and delight in working with OutsideInnovation for several years on an aerospace R&D project. They are outstanding professionals with a wealth of experience across many verticals. For our project, they were extremely versatile and conducted work across plasma sciences, mechanical design, and project management. OutsideInnovation has proved to be an essential player in our research by bringing their abundance of energy and ideas to push the boundaries of our project.
DANIEL BROOKS
DIRECTOR OF TECHNICAL SYSTEMS AT TDI BROOKS
I recently had the pleasure of spending nearly a month living and working side by side every day with Tom aboard one of our Research Vessels during the Blue Hole Expedition. It was during this time that I learned a lot about our crew and those with a willingness to make a project succeed in the face of stressful situations and adversity. We had several different groups on board our vessel, all with their own priorities, but Tom went above and beyond to get outside of his comfort zone and solve problems that were not in his wheel house. His ability to function as part of the team with a focus on the big picture was essential to the success of the expedition. There was several challenges and hurdles for us but due to his creative thinking and go get it done attitude, we were able to overcome. These ranged from technical engineering problems to personnel management to creative on your toes thinking in time sensitive situations. Tom's positive attitude and ability to work successfully in a team environment are what I enjoyed the most and would welcome again on future projects.
CHRIS CONVERSE
OWNER AND HEAD OF ENGINEERING AT CONVERSE DESIGN ENGINEERING
Tom is a powerhouse engineer. He dives deep and doesn't let go of the problem until it is completely solved. His breadth of knowledge extends beyond his engineering specialties. Tom brings passion and thoroughness to his work, and can take on the most challenging engineering problems. I recommend him highly.
RYLAN CONWAY
APPLIED SCIENTIST AT AMAZON ALEXA AI
Tom’s passion for science and engineering combined with his creative approach to problem solving gives him the unique ability to come up with novel solutions to a wide range of problems. Whether it involves plasma physics or statistical analysis, Tom’s diverse skill set allows him to successfully work in a number of different fields. On a recent data science project that we collaborated on, Tom was able to keep us focused on the fundamental problem at hand, preventing us from getting side-tracked and bogged down by unimportant details. With his guidance and drive we were able to deliver a highly accurate machine learning classifier that far exceeded our client's initial expectations.
BRETT TRUNCALI
SENIOR APPLICATION
DEVELOPER
AT VAIL RESORTS
I have known Tom for many years and his original approach to problem solving always impresses me. While working on another project he overheard me discussing a problem we were having, attempting to statistically analyze and build meaning from big data, and off the top of his head proposed a unique statistical approach no one had yet thought of. Within 2 weeks he built a working statistical classification tool and had largely solved a problem we were working on for over a year. Tom has an ability to solve complex problems quickly. Time and time again I have been stuck on a problem, thinking that the path forward must go a certain direction, and after talking with Tom about it he has given me several completely new paths forward. He just has an incredible ability to solve problems and think differently.