Andrew Longacre
Research scientist at Hand Held Products
Interview by Elena Malykhina
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BEAUTIFUL MIND The Aztec Code symbology is represented by a square grid with a bull's-eye in the center, which makes it easier to locate encoded data. "I firmly believe that if people would use Aztec Code to do data capture, it would be better for them." |
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HIGH HONOR In 1996, Longacre received the Richard R. Dilling Award for outstanding contributions to advancing automated data-collection technology. "I was inspired by my father, who had a Ph.D., which was rare in the 1920s. But it was probably my 10th grade math teacher, a very beautiful woman, who got me turned on to mathematics." |
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PIECING THE PUZZLE Longacre recently demonstrated the intelligence of data-collection technology by solving a Sudoku puzzle using imaging-engine software he created. "It started out as a fun project inspired by my son-in-law, who argued that a computer could never solve a Sudoku. It turns out that a computer can." |
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LIFE LIST "When I was 35, I put together a 'life list' of things I hoped to do before I passed on. I've played golf at St. Andrews, heard Pavarotti sing live, and ridden in a hot-air balloon. But I haven't yet seen the pyramids." |
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HIGH NOTE Another item on Longacre's list was to sing in an opera chorus. "When the chance came in 1993 to be part of the chorus for Aida at the Syracuse Opera, I knew immediately it was something I wanted to do. It's just such fun!" |