I would like to begin by explaining the motivations behind the title of my blog and, in doing so, reveal the content I intend to share.
A corner case is a unique situation that unexpectedly emerges in an engineering process. Existing beyond typical use-case scenarios and frequently overlooked by engineers, corner cases are the details that for one reason or another are ignored until they manifest as a problem in an engineered system. Conversely, a completed project should be presented in a concise and elegant manner – sans granular details and immune to corner cases. As such, maintaining a streamlined portfolio and documenting specifics of the development process are mutually exclusive efforts – hence the necessity and name of the blog: Corner Cases. Here, I will post in-depth reports on project development (e.g., interfacing, programming, testing, debugging) – all the details not to be overlooked in order to avoid an unexpected corner case.
While developing a new project, I inevitably encounter new and unfamiliar technologies. Sometimes the technology is vital to the project and other times I inadvertently stumble upon a new and compelling discovery. In either case, the result is hours, sometimes days, of research and experimentation – much like a corner case, an unexpected diversion from the completion of a project. Again, it is my intention to share my ancillary discoveries and errata such as language/software tutorials, software install issues, small side-projects, etc.
And now, to really stretch this corner case analogy to its limits…the nomenclature originates from the existence of a multitude of variables or parameters intersecting to form a corner. I consider many of my interests that are traditionally considered insignificant to engineering, particularly art, to be integral attributes that inform my ability to think creatively as an engineer. With my recent discovery of Processing and Generative Art, I believe this is a great opportunity to explore the blending of microcontrollers, programming, and visual art. Exploring my passion for art, discovering new ways to visualize/manipulate data, and expanding my skills as a computer engineer – these are the pursuits, or variables, that describe my aspirations and converge into a point.