Richie Przybyla ('08 HBS, electrical engineering)
Co-founder and System Architect
Chirp Microsystems

Ten years ago, piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducers (pMUTs) were a laboratory curiosity which could only be produced in specialized cleanrooms. Today, we are on the cusp of seeing tiny ultrasonic transceivers made possible by pMUT technology introduced in a variety of markets including mobile VR/AR, smart home, robotics, and smartphones. In this talk, I will describe how my colleagues and I brought this technology through the university lab and into mass production. I'll discuss some of the technical challenges and how we surmounted those. I'll share some of the lessons we learned along the way and show you lots of videos and pictures of systems we built along the way.

Biography
Richard J. Przybyla received the Honors B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University in 2008. In 2013, he earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, where he and his colleagues demonstrated an ultrasonic 3D rangefinder system which fits on a chip.

In 2013, Richie co-founded Chirp Microsystems to commercialize his Ph.D. research, where he holds the position of System Architect. In 2018, Chirp Microsystems was acquired by TDK Corporation, a global leader in sensor technology and electronic components. In 2019, he was inducted into the Oregon State Council of Outstanding Early Career Engineers. Richard has also held R&D positions at Hewlett-Packard and Oregon State University. He is interested in circuits, algorithms, and systems which interface to the physical world.

Coffee and treats will be provided. Please RSVP to Kevin Stoller at stollerk@oregonstate.edu to reserve your spot!