I build things that probably shouldn't exist.
I'm a lifelong science enthusiast, tinkerer, and maker who enjoys bringing science fiction a little closer to science fact.
By day, I work in medical imaging as an X-ray application / image quality specialist. In my spare time, I build functional Tricorders, experiment with electronics and sensors, and chase ideas that live somewhere between science and imagination.
My interests span astrophysics, quantum physics, archaeology, anthropology, and philology — and pretty much anything that makes me ask, "I wonder how that works?"
The name Old Black Crow dates back to 1994, when I founded Old Black Crow Creative Services. Inspired by a poem I wrote, the name reflects a lifelong fascination with discovery, the unknown, and finding direction through curiosity and creativity.
More than thirty years later, the Crow is still flying.
My fascination with computers began with a VIC-20 in high school, followed by a Commodore 64 during my years in the U.S. Air Force. I learned to program in BASIC on that C64 and eventually graduated to a 286 PC in 1991.
My primary project is a functional, handheld science Tricorder inspired by Star Trek.
Built around Adafruit microcontrollers and CircuitPython, it incorporates multiple scientific instruments, including:
- Radiation detection
- Atmospheric and environmental monitoring
- Thermal imaging and distance measurement
- Magnetic field measurement and orientation
- Ultraviolet and color sensing
- Acoustic monitoring
- Home Assistant integration for mission logging and data analysis
The goal isn't simply to make a Star Trek prop. It's to build an actual scientific instrument that happens to look and behave like something from the 24th century.
Because "I wonder what that is?" should have a button.
- Website: BrianMRoss.com
- YouTube: TheOldBlackCrow
- Bluesky: @oldblackcrow.bsky.social
Live long and prosper. 🖖