Dr. James M. Hilkert Profile

Dr. James M. Hilkert

President at Alpha-Theta Technologies

SPIE Involvement:

Author | Instructor

Area of Expertise:

Control Systems design , line-of-sight pointing , Line-of-sight gyro stabilization & control , mirror stabilization / pointing , automatic tracking systems , precision electro-mechanical design

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.

Proceedings Article | 9 June 2014 Paper

Line-of-sight kinematics and corrections for fast-steering mirrors used in precision pointing and tracking systems

J. Hilkert, Gavin Kanga, K. Kinnear

Proceedings Volume 9076, 90760F (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2049857

KEYWORDS: Mirrors, Kinematics, Sensors, Distortion, Mirror stabilization, Actuators, Control systems, Imaging systems, Line of sight pointing, Optical testing

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Proceedings Article | 31 May 2013 Paper

Gimbal system configurations and line-of-sight control techniques for small UAV applications

Rick Miller, Greg Mooty, J. Hilkert

Proceedings Volume 8713, 871308 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2015777

KEYWORDS: Unmanned aerial vehicles, Gyroscopes, Sensors, Imaging systems, Cameras, Line of sight stabilization, Environmental sensing, Video, Linear filtering, Fiber optic illuminators

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Proceedings Article | 13 May 2011 Paper

A reduced-order disturbance observer applied to inertially stabilized line-of-sight control

J. Hilkert, Brian Pautler

Proceedings Volume 8052, 80520H (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.884123

KEYWORDS: Gyroscopes, Control systems, Error analysis, Line of sight stabilization, Linear filtering, Systems modeling, Thulium, Amplifiers, Control systems design, Actuators

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Proceedings Article | 13 May 2010 Paper

Structural effects and techniques in precision pointing and tracking systems: a tutorial overview

J. Hilkert, David Amil

Proceedings Volume 7696, 76961C (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.849836

KEYWORDS: Control systems, Systems modeling, Control systems design, Structural dynamics, Finite element methods, Telecommunications, Structural design, Servomechanisms, Modal analysis, Structural analysis

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Proceedings Article | 4 May 2009 Paper

Development of mirror stabilization line-of-sight rate equations for an unconventional sensor-to-gimbal orientation

J. Hilkert, Steve Cohen

Proceedings Volume 7338, 733803 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.818805

KEYWORDS: Mirrors, Sensors, Kinematics, Gyroscopes, Mirror stabilization, Line of sight stabilization, Motion measurement, Transducers, Control systems, Reflection

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Proceedings Article | 25 March 2008 Paper

A unique three-axis gimbal mechanism

J. Hilkert, Matthew Jonas

Proceedings Volume 6971, 69710E (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.777755

KEYWORDS: Kinematics, Electroluminescence, Sensors, Gyroscopes, Control systems design, Servomechanisms, Imaging systems, Line of sight stabilization, Device simulation, Control systems

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Proceedings Article | 24 March 2008 Paper

Sin/cosine encoder interpolation methods: encoder to digital tracking converters for rate and position loop controllers

Steven Jenkins, J. Hilkert

Proceedings Volume 6971, 69710F (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.777741

KEYWORDS: Computer programming, Error analysis, Sensors, Diffraction, Digital signal processing, Photodetectors, Calibration, Analog electronics, Far-field diffraction, Detection and tracking algorithms

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Proceedings Article | 19 May 2005 Paper

Kinematic algorithms for line-of-sight pointing and scanning using INS/GPS position and velocity information

J. Hilkert

Proceedings Volume 5810, (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.602265

KEYWORDS: Global Positioning System, Detection and tracking algorithms, Control systems, Algorithm development, Line of sight stabilization, Kinematics, Mirrors, Sensors, Line of sight pointing, Field emission displays

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Proceedings Article | 27 July 2004 Paper

A comparison of inertial line-of-sight stabilization techniques using mirrors

James Hilkert

Proceedings Volume 5430, (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.541808

KEYWORDS: Mirrors, Gyroscopes, Mirror stabilization, Line of sight stabilization, Sensors, Transducers, Space mirrors, Autocollimators, Kinematics, Feedback loops

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Proceedings Article | 1 October 1991 Paper

Specifications for image stabilization systems

James Hilkert, Max Bowen, Joe Wang

Proceedings Volume 1498, (1991) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.46806

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Proceedings Article | 1 September 1990 Paper

Adaptive control system techniques applied to inertial stabilization systems

J. Hilkert

Proceedings Volume 1304, (1990) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2322210

KEYWORDS: Control systems, Adaptive control, Gyroscopes, Control systems design, Motion models, Stochastic processes, Filtering (signal processing), Detection and tracking algorithms, Systems modeling, Mechanical engineering

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Showing 5 of 11 publications

Conference Committee Involvement (6)

Acquisition, Tracking, Pointing, and Laser Systems Technologies XXVI

23 April 2012 | Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Acquisition, Tracking, Pointing, and Laser Systems Technologies XXV

25 April 2011 | Orlando, Florida, United States

Acquisition, Tracking, Pointing, and Laser Systems Technologies XXIV

5 April 2010 | Orlando, Florida, United States

Acquisition, Tracking, Pointing, and Laser Systems Technologies XXIII

14 April 2009 | Orlando, Florida, United States

Acquisition, Tracking, Pointing, and Laser Systems Technologies XXII

20 March 2008 | Orlando, Florida, United States

Showing 5 of 6 Conference Committees

Course Instructor

SC160: An Introduction to Precision Stabilized Pointing and Tracking Systems

This course provides a practical description of the design, analysis, integration, and evaluation processes associated with development of precision stabilization, pointing and tracking systems. Major topics include stabilized platform technology, electro-mechanical system configuration and analysis, and typical pointing and tracking system architectures. The notes provided with the course are the same extensive set used in the 3 day in-house version of the course but necessarily taught in abbreviated form so as to fit within the 1 day format.

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