Chris Cook
Verified Expert in Engineering
Hardware and Software Architect and Developer
Boulder, CO, United States
Toptal member since September 5, 2025
Chris is a master hardware and software architect with decades of experience leading teams to deliver innovative IoT, embedded, and cloud-connected products. His expertise spans electronics, embedded Linux, wireless communications, and full-stack software, enabling him to craft elegant, scalable solutions that meet today's needs while anticipating tomorrow's challenges. An expert in delivering projects for both startups and Fortune 100 companies, Chris will be a great addition to any team.
Portfolio
Experience
- C - 15 years
- Firmware - 14 years
- AutoCAD - 12 years
- C++ - 12 years
- Hardware Design - 10 years
- Linux - 10 years
- Hardware - 10 years
- Python 3 - 8 years
Preferred Environment
MacOS, Linux, C, C++, Python 3, Flutter, AutoCAD, KiCad, Embedded Linux, Python
The most amazing...
...things I've designed are innovative, resilient systems that cater to a diverse clientele ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies.
Work Experience
Principal Engineer
Lei Systems
- Developed a cost-reduced IoT module for monitoring unattended retail systems. Wrote firmware and designed hardware.
- Developed a kitchen assistant app using Flutter and interfaced it with several smart kitchen gadgets.
- Developed a manufacturing test fixture for IoT devices manufactured in Taiwan.
Principal Engineer
Up&Up 株式会社
- Engineered hardware and firmware for a smart beacon enabling BLE-based payments with JVMA-compliant vending machines.
- Developed an IoT monitor and payment terminal for EV chargers in Japan.
- Created a camera-based ML monitor for parking spaces associated with EV chargers.
- Developed hardware and firmware for an event venue beer and wine dispenser based on BLE payments and age confirmation.
Senior Systems Architect
NCR
- Built an infrastructure/platform for creating enterprise management systems.
- Created MyFavEats dining and promotional management app for the retail restaurant segment.
- Developed the NCR Connect framework, which allows cloud agents to integrate services into a retail transaction.
Experience
Smart Beacon 4
https://www.myleisystems.com/portfolio-collections/my-portfolio/project-title-6-1-1ParkWatch
Juice Box
https://www.myleisystems.com/portfolio-collections/my-portfolio/ev-charger-payments-and-management-1SB4 Test Fixture
https://www.myleisystems.com/portfolio-collections/my-portfolio/manufacturing-test-fixture-for-beaconAI Cooking Assistant with integration to Kitchen Devices
and Temporal.io. Mobile UI built in Flutter for both smartphones and tablets.
Smart Kitchen Integrations: Connected AI Cooking Assistant to BLE-enabled devices (scales, probes, ovens). Developed Flutter BLE mobile client, reverse-engineered peripheral device protocols using Sniffle and Wireshark.
SLink
Education
Undergraduate Coursework in in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
University of Alabama - Huntsville, AL, USA
Skills
Tools
AutoCAD, KiCad, Buildroot
Languages
C, C++, Python 3, Python, C#.NET, SQL, Embedded C++
Paradigms
Real-time Systems, Mechanical Design
Platforms
Embedded Linux, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Linux, Bluetooth Low Energy (LE)
Frameworks
Flutter
Other
Hardware, Firmware, Communication Protocols, Embedded Hardware, Embedded Software, I2C, Sensors & Actuators, Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), loT device, Hardware Design, Manufacturing, CI/CD Pipelines, Open Source, Camera Integration, Computer Vision, Edge AI, on-device inference, Yocto, Embedded Rust, Internet of Things (IoT), Real-time Operating System (RTOS), Communication
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