Mike Borden
About Mike Borden
Mike Borden is a Senior Optical Lead with extensive experience in optical engineering, having worked at various prestigious organizations including NASA and NOAA. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's degree in Optics/Optical Sciences.
Work at Ouster
Mike Borden currently serves as the Senior Optical Lead at Ouster, a position he has held since 2023. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing optical systems and contributing to the development of advanced LiDAR technologies. Previously, he worked at Ouster as an Optical Lead from 2021 to 2023, where he focused on enhancing optical performance and system integration for LiDAR applications.
Education and Expertise
Mike Borden holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, which he completed from 2004 to 2008. He furthered his education with a Master's degree in Optics/Optical Sciences from the University of Arizona, studying from 2008 to 2011. His academic background provides a strong foundation for his expertise in optical engineering and mechanical design.
Background
Mike Borden has a diverse professional background in optical engineering. He began his career as a NASA Academy Research Associate at NASA Ames Research Center in 2008. He then worked as an Optical Engineer at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for a brief period in 2009. His experience includes significant roles at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and General Atomics, where he developed critical optical systems and workflows.
Achievements in Optical Engineering
During his tenure at General Atomics, Mike Borden developed a Line of Sight (LoS) jitter analysis workflow for the opto-mechanical group. This workflow is utilized for quantifying optical jitter, enhancing the precision of optical systems. His work also includes developing new LiDAR architectures for self-driving vehicles, focusing on beam steering and laser/detector layout.
Technical Skills and Capabilities
Mike Borden possesses strong technical skills in creating complex mechanical drawings using GD&T standards. He is capable of performing comprehensive STOP (Structural, Thermal, Optical Performance) analyses, which quantify optical performance and support the development of system control algorithms. His expertise extends to developing beam control optical architecture for directed energy applications.