Versacorp provides two major types of engineering services: systems engineering and mechanical and opto-mechanical design engineering. Other services are also available. These include science consulting (on the subject of total solar eclipses) and image processing. Custom light machining may be provided on a limited basis. With few exceptions, all Versacorp engineering services are performed by Jeffrey R. Charles, owner and chief engineer of Versacorp. Jeff has experience in many fields, with the majority of his experience and expertise being in the area of Systems Engineering, including problem solving, requirements planning, and conceptual and other high level design. If you want creative and effective solutions to your engineering problems, please direct your inquiries to Jeffrey R. Charles: jcharles@versacorp.com
Versacorp can provide quality systems engineering services such as requirements planning and specifications, feasibility studies, creation of high level specifications, definition and solution of problems, and generation of workable and innovative conceptual designs. Jeffrey R. Charles (a former contract engineer at JPL) can work independently or in a team environment on both small and large tasks; from component level all the way to the conception, proposal, and implementation of an entire project. He has the vision and attention span to conceive, develop, and complete both small and large projects.
Areas of expertise include optical systems, particularly optical systems which relate to astronomy or optical communication such as telescopes, image switching systems, optical steering systems, and hyperwide angle imaging systems; mechanical systems; fixed wing aircraft systems, rotary aircraft systems, lighter than air platforms and related airborne payload systems. In addition, Jeff has developed or co-developed global operations concepts for projects including a proposed microwave powered aircraft and related ground facilities. Links to selected examples of his work are included below.
Final project documentation can be provided in various document formats, and on media such as paper, floppy disks, or Zip disks. Most work is performed on a Macintosh platform. If a customer requires documentation in formats which Versacorp does not presently support, the proper format(s) can typically be provided for the cost of conversion by a third party plus actual time and expenses, or the cost of the required hardware and software plus actual time and expenses, whichever is least.
Unless specifically negotiated otherwise, all systems engineering will be performed at the present location of Versacorp and the data will typically be sent to the customer via postal mail, fax, phone line modem, or the Internet.
Rates: If Jeffrey R. Charles works independently rather than being "employed" with full benefits, the rate is $95.00 U.S. per hour plus expenses if the work is performed at the current location of Versacorp. If adequate flexibility is allowed for the completion of a task, (i.e. the job does not have priority over his other work) the minimum charge will only be one hour for each day that he is specifically required to perform some work on a given task. If the job requires priority (i.e. if it must be worked on at specified times or completed in only a few days), the minimum charge will be three hours for each day that he works on the job. Under special circumstances, a retainer may be negotiated.
If the scope of work is well defined in advance, Versacorp may be able to quote a total price for delivering a final engineering "product". Once a job is quoted, changes in requirements or the scope of work will typically require a renegotiation of the fee.
If travel is required and if travel and commute time are paid, the rate for work and travel is $95.00 U.S. per hour plus expenses, with estimated expenses paid in advance, and with a minimum charge of 3 hours per day if Versacorp personnel work locally, or with a minimum charge of 8 hours per day if the work is out of town; or, $145.00 U.S. per hour (subject to approval by Versacorp) plus expenses if Versacorp absorbs travel and commute time, with a minimum charge of 2 hours per day if Versacorp personnel work locally and 6 hours per day if they work out of town, so long as travel time does not exceed half of the chargeable time on each trip.
When it is required by the customer, weekends and holidays will be charged at $1.5x, as will hours in excess of 8 per day. All requests for work in excess of 8 hours per day must be pre-approved by Versacorp. At the sole discretion of Versacorp, the rate may be lower for large tasks and/or one initial telephonic or E-mail consultation may be performed without charge.
Click here to see Jeffrey R. Charles' CV and Resume.
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Systems Engineering Work Examples
Only a small percentage of Jeffrey R. Charles' systems engineering and conceptual design work can be specifically disclosed because nearly all of it is proprietary, having been performed for Versacorp or while Jeff working as a contractor at JPL. Work related to large projects (such as that with the JPL microwave powered aircraft team) fall within this proprietary category. Work that can be disclosed relates to selected past and present Versacorp products and to JPL project proposals which Jeff researched and authored on his own time.
Large Tasks: A relatively large amount of high level work is represented in Jeff's ALAT (Airborne Large Aperture Telescope) concept, which he proposed at JPL. ALAT is a 3 meter airborne telescope which is deployed on a multiple function lighter than air (LTA) platform. The telescope is envisioned to be used for astrophysics, satellite tracking, ranging, and imaging, and as an airborne relay for deep-space communication (ARDOC, facilitating optical communication with interplanetary space missions). The LTA platform is envisioned to be capable of supporting additional payloads for communications and other applications. Some of these payloads are envisioned to service commercial customers and thereby permit some or all of the cost of the platform, scientific payloads, and related facilities to be subsidized. If this large project is implemented, the related new technology would benefit lighter than air platform development, optical and other communications, large inflatable antenna design, astrophysics, and other fields. Click here to see a "view graph" version of the ALAT paper.
Small Tasks: A sample of a "small" (about one man day) task that Jeff performed includes the referenced brief analysis of factors affecting system requirements for an Optical Air Traffic Detection System. This system was proposed by the technical staff at JPL. Its purpose was to locate aircraft which were about to enter the beam of a relatively powerful ~532 nm lasers that were being proposed for commercial use in Las Vegas. The goal was to ensure that the beam did not illuminate an aircraft and temporarily degrade the pilot's night vision. At the time Jeff was contacted, very little thought had been put into the proposal by the customer, so he initially posed several questions to the customer in order to encourage them to adequately specify reliability requirements. Jeff's analysis ultimately showed that the project would not be feasible because adequate reliability could not be achieved for the low specified cost. Click here to see this brief analysis.
Diverse Tasks: Some of Jeff's general engineering and problem solving work can be seen in some of the papers he has written. Click here to see a list of these papers.
Specialized Tasks: Some of Jeff's specialized engineering relates to experiments he performed at total solar eclipses. He has written many papers relating to this work. These are at his dedicated "eclipse" web site: www.eclipsechaser.com
Creative Tasks: Some of Jeff's work on product design from conception through production can be gleaned from examining information about Versacorp products. He conceived and designed the entire Versacorp product line. While some of these products may seem rather "ordinary" today, many were novel when they were introduced and he personally prosecuted patents for several of them. Some of these products were introduced more than 10 years ago, yet they are still in demand today! Click here for information about Versacorp optical products.
Click here to see a brief history of Versacorp.
Click here to see Jeffrey R. Charles' CV and Resume.
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Versacorp (or more particularly its founder, Jeffrey R. Charles) has conceived and developed many innovative ideas over the years. Many conceptual designs were very innovative, effective, and unique; and some were patented. Most of these were also developed into Versacorp products. Other systems were commissioned by or licensed to other vendors. Still others related to projects much too large for a company the size of Versacorp to take on. Some of these were presented at JPL/NASA in the form of project proposals.
In all, Versacorp has conceived and developed hundreds of items. Though most of these relate to optical instrumentation, many others are applicable to a variety of other fields. In regard to optics, the same innovative thinking that resulted in legendary Versacorp products can be utilized to provide effective solutions in the design of instrumentation for observatories, laboratories, the motion picture industry, and other customers.
Click here to see a list of several Versacorp inventions and conceptual designs.
Click here to see Jeffrey R. Charles' CV and Resume.
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Versacorp offers Design Engineering Services in mechanical, opto-mechanical, and other fields. Over the years, Jeffrey R. Charles has designed various special purpose optical telescope instrumentation on a consulting basis. In addition, he conceived and developed the entire Versacorp product line. A review of these innovative Versacorp products will reflect some of his capability in this area. Prior to his contracting at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1992, Versacorp offered a total of 82 different products.
Final drawings and other documentation can be provided in various document formats, and on media such as paper, floppy disks, or Zip disks. If the customer requires documentation in formats Versacorp does not presently support, it can typically provide the proper format for the cost of conversion by a third party plus my actual time and expenses, or the cost of the required hardware and software, whichever is least.
Unless specifically negotiated otherwise, all design engineering will be performed from the present location os Versacorp and sent to the customer via postal mail, phone line modem, or the Internet.
Rates:The rate is $95.00 U.S. per hour plus expenses if the work is performed at the current location of Versacorp. Other rates and conditions for design engineering services are identical to those for systems engineering. If the scope of work is well defined in advance, it may be possible to quote a fee for the finished "product". Once a job is quoted, changes in requirements or the scope of work will typically require a renegotiation of the fee.
Click here for information about Versacorp optical products.
Click here to see Jeffrey R. Charles' CV and Resume.
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Jeffrey R. Charles, the founder of Versacorp, has traveled to four total solar eclipses and has made dozens of eclipse related presentations at schools, astronomy groups, JPL/NASA, and national conferences such as the Riverside Telescope Makers Conference. He has significant experience relating to total solar eclipse phenomena and the design of both multiple function and specialized instrumentation for observing, imaging, and simulating eclipses. A substantial amount of the Versacorp web site and the related "EclipseChaser"web site is devoted to articles and images relating to eclipses.
At the total solar eclipses of 11 July 1991, 3 November 1994, and 24 October 1995, Jeff designed, constructed and utilized semi-automated equipment to take 360 degree panoramic photos of the lunar shadow, or umbra. These panoramas were taken for both aesthetic and scientific purposes. In his eclipse work, Jeff has emphasized obtaining and reducing data that can be used to predict the appearance of the lunar umbra at future total solar eclipses. These predictions in turn may make it possible for observers and photographers to know where and when the most dramatic effects will occur at each eclipse. Jeff successfully predicted the correct time, azimuth position, and character of many umbral related phenomena that were observable from South America at the 3 November, 1994 total solar eclipse.
Jeff is writing a book and multimedia publication about planning and completing eclipse expeditions. Now well over half finished, this book will contain detailed descriptions about the appearance of the sun and moon before, during, and after the total phase of the eclipse (i.e. totality). In addition, the book will describe his umbra related work and present advice on how to observe and photograph the umbra. Being engulfed by the lunar umbra is a significant part of the eclipse experience which has been largely neglected by other eclipse researchers and writers. The dramatic umbral panoramas and other work amassed for this book will truly make it a "first" in the field of eclipse publications! Images and modified excerpts from material for this book are periodically added to his dedicated "eclipse" web site: www.eclipsechaser.com which is linked to the Versacorp web page. New items are typically added every few weeks. Stay tuned!
Jeff is also writing a screenplay based on his total solar eclipse expedition experiences, some of which were quite interesting! He plans to utilize his umbral and other eclipse data to facilitate accurate portrayal of eclipse phenomena in any resulting production. His research would also be useful in other eclipse related projects by planetariums or the motion picture industry. Jeff's skills and expertise in this area (and in the area of designing eclipse instrumentation) are available to interested parties on a consulting basis.
Rates: Science consulting rates are typically negotiated on an individual basis. Other conditions for this service are similar to those for systems engineering. If the scope of work is well defined in advance, it may be possible to quote a fee for the finished "product". Once a job is quoted, changes in requirements or the scope of work will typically require a renegotiation of the fee. Please direct inquiries to: Jeffrey R. Charles (jcharles@versacorp.com)
Click here to see the "Eclipse Chaser" web site and a list of linked total solar eclipse related papers by Jeffrey R. Charles.
Click here to see Jeffrey R. Charles' CV and Resume.
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Versacorp offers image processing and related reflective art scanning services. Most image processing is performed with Adobe Photoshop. Services range from simple retouching, to geometric conversion of hyperwide images, to creating custom or abstract images from various combined originals. Versacorp can customize images even further by incorporating elements from its own proprietary images. Final image files can be provided in various software formats, and on media such as Macintosh or DOS format floppy disks or Zip disks. Versacorp can provide ink jet proof printouts, but it does not provide high quality printing services in house. Versacorp will not scan, reproduce, or process copyrighted material (other than its own or that legally belonging to the customer) or any image that would not be equivalent to a "G" movie rating.
Rates: The rate for image processing and related consultation is $95.00 U.S. per hour plus expenses if the work is performed at the current location of Versacorp, with a minimum charge of one hour. Printing and proofing fees are by quotation only. If the scope of work for image processing services is adequately defined in advance, it may be possible to quote the fee for the finished work. Once a job is quoted, changes in requirements or the scope of work will typically require a renegotiation of the fee.
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In order to accommodate special situations where the customer would like to keep design and fabrication services "under one roof", Versacorp may at times offer in-house or subcontracted custom light machining services on a limited basis. On occasion, Versacorp will also perform custom machining of aluminum items for other customers. In regard to machining, Versacorp does not accommodate "rush" fabrication jobs.
Rates: The shop rates and related consultation rates are $95.00 U.S. per hour plus material and expenses, with a minimum charge of one hour. If the scope of work for machining services is adequately defined in advance, (i.e. if good machine drawings are provided) it may be possible to quote a fee for the finished work. Once a job is quoted, changes in requirements or the scope of work will typically require a renegotiation of the fee. In special cases, Versacorp can arrange for anodizing and other third party services, subject to applicable expediting and lot charges.
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All of the following terms, conditions, and limitations apply to all work performed by Jeffrey R. Charles or others tasked under Versacorp, unless specifically negotiated otherwise in writing:
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Vision: It takes time to get a product to market, so it is important to realistically anticipate the need for a product or service well in advance of the onset of significant demand. It is this type of vision that facilitated the founding of Versacorp in 1983. Long before video cameras and CCD imagers came into common use among consumers, I anticipated that "flip mirrors" and similar optical image switching instrumentation would enhance the use of such imagers, particularly when used for photometry or imaging with astronomical telescopes. The CCD or other imaging sensor is typically quite small, resulting in a narrow field of view. A wider visual field of view that is centered around the narrow sensor field would be required to easily locate the subject and thereby facilitate effective use of these imagers. Applications for this combined instrumentation would include surveillance, astronomy, and microscopy. At that time, venture capitalists did not appreciate the situation, so I founded Versacorp "on a shoestring" with my own funds.
Innovative Products: I initially introduced "image switching" optical products to the amateur astronomy market, partly because getting into that market required the least initial investment. The first products I introduced and patented addressed the then current requirement of facilitating guided astrophotography with film cameras, while still retaining the features that would be needed later, when the CCD imaging era arrived. This approach allowed the product designs to remain virtually unchanged for over 10 years. Even though the amateur astronomy market is relatively small, anticipation of requirements for future telescope accessories allowed Versacorp to enjoy the recognition of introducing several technological "firsts" in the industry:
Before founding Versacorp, I had designed several products and prototyped a few of them. Some were the result of items I had designed and fabricated for my own use in amateur astronomy. Lacking venture capital, financial considerations only permitted the introduction of a few products, and most parts for those introduced initially had to be made in my own machine shop. This obviously limited production capacity. I decided to introduce my most complex product (the VersAgonal) first in order to gain product recognition, even though doing so meant that I would not see a "quick" return on my investment. Having to manually manufacture the product in my own shop increased cost, but the product still sold. The normal price of the VersAgonal was about $1000.00. This was more than the cost of some of the telescopes it would be used on, but it was also only about 80% as much as the cost of the accessories it replaced! While the VersAgonal may have been a little ahead of its time, it's owners were very enthusiastic! A total of 82 Versacorp products were gradually introduced, and I developed dozens of additional product designs which could not be introduced at the time due to financial considerations. A few of these product designs were licensed to other vendors.
More Innovations: Prior to and during the time I developed flip mirrors and guiding systems, I conceived, developed, prototyped, and used various wide angle optical systems with hyper-hemispherical coverage. Two of these are patented. The first of these innovative optical systems was a Cassegrain axial strut wide angle panoramic capture reflector, which I fabricated in 1977. This system is useful for many types of immersive imaging, but its primary function is use in a vertical orientation to instantaneously capture a circular 360 degree panoramic image having a vertical coverage of about 120 degrees. At the time I patented this system, there was little commercial demand for it, owing to the difficulty of converting the annular image to a conventional rectangular panorama. Today, digital image processing has made a circular 360 degree panoramic image (what I call an "Omniramic" (TM) image) more desirable, and Versacorp has promoted the T11 axial strut wide angle reflector, a compact and portable optical system which is based on my earlier patented design.
It has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and at least one company has sought to emulate my patented (and patent pending) Cassegrain axial strut wide angle reflector without authorization. The axial strut wide angle reflector is this company's sole optical product, so it could be fair to say that the new company is essentially founded on my invention; however, this company has not succeeded in achieving anywhere near the same degree of elegance and portability of the Versacorp Omnirama (TM) T11 optical system. (Since I have been so "flattered" by this new company, my invention may eventually make some lawyer very rich.) More recently, I have conceived and developed hyper-hemispherical optical systems having fast focal ratios (patent pending) which make them more suitable for use with projectors than my older optics. In addition, I have developed a compact and robust optical system (patent pending) which can image the entire sphere around itself on a single focal plane. Some versions of this system (patent pending) even cover the full sphere in 3D!
Additional products for wide angle imaging include the Versarama (TM) motorized indexing panoramic camera platform for automatically taking incremental panoramas with a conventional camera. The first version of the VersaRama was prototyped and used in 1991.
Engineering: In addition to designing and manufacturing optical products, I performed conceptual design, mechanical design, opto-mechanical design, electro-mechanical design, system integration, and other engineering services on a consulting basis. Eventually, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory purchased some of my products and one group there began soliciting my problem solving skills for other aspects of their projects. This led to extended contract employment at JPL as a technician, and later as an engineer. While I was at JPL, Versacorp was only minimally active. Since 1996, Versacorp has emphasized the engineering services and products shown in its web page.
Click here for information about Versacorp products.
Click here to see Jeffrey R. Charles' CV and Resume.
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© Copyright 1996, Jeffrey R. Charles, All Rights Reserved.
Mail to: Jeffrey R. Charles (jcharles@versacorp.com)
Document created: XX XXX, 1996
First revision: 13 March, 1997
Second revision: 3 November, 1997
Third revision: 22 June, 1998