Richard Eason

Associate – Climate Change Institute

Associate Professor Emeritus, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Eason retired in 2022, but remains active as Associate Professor Emeritus, continuing to stay involved in his scientific ballooning program. Other past research interests have included robotics, sensor fusion, machine intelligence, computer vision, 3D display systems, steganography, embedded systems and VLSI design. He has considerable programming experience in many languages, but most recently works with C/C++ and Python.

Former work has included integrated circuit design of Zilog’s 8581 Clock Generator and Controller, development of robots for trimming shoe soles for Dexter Shoe (which went on to trim over a million pair of shoes a year), work on a 3-D display with colleagues in Malaysia, work on steganography with colleagues in Japan (involving nine research visits to Japan totaling more than a year), and the design of more than a dozen mechanical puzzles, many of which have been sold commercially.

Dr. Eason has seven US patents and several foreign ones. He is a Senior Member of IEEE, and also a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Pi, and Eta Kappa Nu honorary societies.

Other credentials include: Commercial Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor, Instrument (CFII), Airplane Single Engine Land, Private Pilot, Airplane Single Engine Sea, and Part 107 Remote Pilot, Amateur Radio Operator, Extra Class License (AA1PJ), ARRL Volunteer Examiner and Liaison, and with help from a few colleagues, he administers Amateur Radio exam sessions for students and the general public several times a year. He has PADI Advanced Open Water SCUBA certification. In his spare time he also enjoys travel, camping, hiking, biking, canoeing, X-C skiing, contra dance, playing music and puzzle collecting and designing.

Dr. Eason served as faculty advisor for the University Flying Club for 30 years, the University Ham Radio Club for 25 years, and also a number of other clubs including, Black Bear Robotics Club, UMaine Jugglers Society, Traditional Music and Dance Club, Swing Dance Club, the Skeptics Club, and the UMaine Cube Society,