About Me

Picture of Commander Shepard (dog)[ now deceased] and me on Cadillac mountain

Born in Louny, Czechoslovakia and raised in Dallas, Texas I come from a family of self-starters and entrepreneurs. Currently, I live near DFW while recovering from a TBI I survived in September of 2021. I'm currently studying/exploring Linguistics and human computer interaction(HCI) to develop new: adaptable computer interfaces; mental health, maintenance tools; and cloud based solutions I've needed & wanted regardless of TBI.

I can be reached at: MPotiska@Outlook.com

notable projects I've worked on:

Finger TIP (Touch Input Peripheral)

HCI project [WiP(04.2024)]

my novel approach for a hand mounted HID designed as a basis for VR, AR, and mobile computing interfaces. Built on Arduino as a platform androgynous controller to adapt to activities of daily living. Emphasis on intuitiveness and ease of use in tandem with other physical and virtual tools/systems.

Iterations V1 (left) and V2 (right) of my Finger TIP prototypes. used for Demos I presented while enrolled in the Spatial informatics and engineering program at UMO.

WWII Natural Language Processing Analysis

Spatial Knowledge Research Project

I was part of a team asked to explore Utilizing Natural Language Processing to analyze documents of varying Provenance for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia to better understand the movements of Jews and other affected populations between concentration/death camps; ghettos, and lost burial locations in Europe during WWII. We developed a workflow utilizing NLP and GeoSPARQL to design an applicable ontology extracted triple sets could be sorted through. The work we accomplished in one semester stands as a proof of concept for the holocaust memorial Museum's work to better understand interactions and locations for individuals and people whose fate lacked official/reliable documentation .

Discreet, Intervention System for cases of Domestic Abuse

Human Computer Interaction Research Project

Developed a framework for better intervention of domestic abuse cases using Voice Assistants and Wearable Tech. Developed physical mockups of a “wifi-whistle” using 3D printing in conjunction with an accompanying app. the system Emphasizes the safety of the user and healthy channels of intervention. The approach is Based on interviews with experts As well as survivors' experiences.

Wifi whistle model isometric perspective.

3D models of the Wifi Whistle for the response system.

Queen of the South

Season 1 - Set Dresser

I worked as a set dresser for the show Queen of the South. around DFW .Some days We would be sometimes we'd be prepping bricks of cocaine; christmas decorations; and/or dead bodies . everyday was something different while moving at breakneck speeds.

AT&T Jordan Spieth TV Spot

Production Assistant

I assisted with the production of mosaic elements and breakdown. Roughly 24,000 golf balls and 30 production assistants were used to create this spot over the course of 3 days featured in downtown Dallas. The spot was to commemorate Jordan Spieth winning the 2015 Master's.

Screen shot of the Jordan Spieth mosaic in downtown Dallas.

University of Maine Hackerspace

Hackerspace Manager

From identifying/purchasing inventory to leading workshops for students and faculty I oversaw the day to day operations and implementation of the University of Maine Hackerspace. This space focused on making it easier for all students to access equipment for all UMO students with an emphasis on bringing in non-STEM majors to learn about technologies/ tools such as: 3D printing, Internet of Things, and Raspberry Pi . We worked with several departments including external organizations including "Major League Hacking and "America East Conference" to host their first Hackathon:"HackAE".

a small potted plant sits next to a stack of

around

Image from "Hack AE themed:"small agriculture"