Welcome
Hi, I'm Rob Rainer. I’m a controls and electrical engineering leader whose work spans accelerator and X-ray systems, EPICS-based infrastructure, precision motion, timing systems, and Python-driven applications. I focus on reliability, scalable architecture, model-informed controls, and engineering systems that can be observed, simulated, and improved.
I have extensive experience across national laboratory environments and industry, and I enjoy bridging hands-on engineering with system-level design, mentorship, and strategic technical leadership. I actively explore AI-assisted workflows to improve diagnostics, automation, and system performance.
Digital Twins & Model-Informed Controls
My portfolio now distinguishes between implemented simulations, model-based controls that form a digital-twin foundation, and forward-looking conceptual designs. The common thread is connecting system state, executable models, scenario testing, and engineering decisions.
- Adaptive Accelerator Timing Twin: Implemented EPICS simulation and digital-twin prototype for environmental drift, oscillator, laser, and adaptive PID behavior.
- Precision Motion & Geometric Correction: Twin-ready virtual-coordinate and kinematic correction foundation for X-ray microscopy stages.
- Lunar Waste-to-Resource System: Artemis-aligned conceptual design with an EPICS supervisory layer and predictive digital twin.
Latest Articles
Occasional write-ups on controls engineering and cross-domain technical observations.
Highlighted Projects
- AI-Assisted Accelerator Timing System: Leveraged AI to modernize the timing system by designing and implementing Ethernet-based EPICS IOCs, eliminating reliance on deprecated 3100 CPUs and RTEMS. This upgrade improved reliability, enabled remote diagnostics, and enhanced system scalability.
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EPICS-Based Area Radiation Monitor (ARM) Modernization:
- Updated the EPICS device driver to accommodate new hardware, using AI to optimize the refactoring process.
- Modernized the way ARMs, which are a part of the Personnel Protection System (PPS), transmit data streams over the network through network hardware and configuration upgrades, improving reliability and scalability.
- SBM Top-Off Application: Enhanced machine efficiency by enabling uniform beam injection and implementing ML techniques for optimization.
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Server Virtualization for Accelerator Control Systems:
- Deployed and managed virtualized environments to optimize resource allocation and system redundancy.
- Integrated EPICS-based services into virtual machines to streamline deployment, enhance maintainability, and improve operational flexibility.
- Power Supply Controller (PSC) Controls Development: Designed and deployed EPICS IOCs for modular PSC systems, enhancing power supply control infrastructure at BNL and LBNL. This work includes developing, integrating, and supporting control systems for precise and reliable power regulation in accelerator environments.