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Rosen Motors was "the job to end all jobs" -- a truly class project, because the founder was none other than Harold Rosen, the father of the synchronous communications satellite and recipient of prestigious engineering achievement awards.
Dr. Rosen was coming out of retirement to give the world a pollution-free automobile. This automobile -- a converted Saturn -- used a nearly pollution-free, turbine-driven generator to generate electrical power to drive the wheels. Since the turbine can only run efficiently in a limited range of powers and speeds, an intermediary energy storage device was needed to provide the temporary power surges for acceleration and hill climbing. Instead of using batteries, Dr. Rosen decided to use a flywheel (the same principle used in stabilizing the syncoms.)
The large automakers had already given up the concept as being too unsafe, but Dr. Rosen put together a crack team and gambled his own money on being able to solve the problems involved. The project eventually received much publicity.
Naturally, I could not resist after being recommended to such a distinguished team of pioneers. I left ADT in spite of the wonderful relationship I had there and joined in December of 1995. Rosen Motors hired me "as a reserve talent," without having specifically targeted me to a project. I had been hired late on the project and was not able to capture a worthwhile assignment. I came to regret my decision.
I was invited to ADT's Christmas party at the end of 1996 and regained my previous job at ADT in January of 1997.
(In 1997 also, Rosen Motors went out of business).
Last Update January 1, 2003
©2003 Raymond Van den Heuvel
-- all rights reserved