Randy Brost

Concentrating Solar Optics Laboratory Lead

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Concentrating Solar Optics Laboratory Lead

rcbrost@sandia.gov

(505) 284-1483

Biography

Randy Brost leads optical metrology research within Sandia National Laboratories’ Concentrating Solar Technologies group. His work focuses on developing improvements to indoor and outdoor heliostat optical metrology to benefit the CSP industry, research and education. He is trained as a computer scientist, and throughout his career he has developed computational tools supporting robotics, precision manufacturing, image analysis, optical metrology and concentrating solar optics. Randy also is a key design contributor to the SkyTrough, an advanced parabolic trough collector developed at SkyFuel. 

Education

  • Bachelor of Science, Chemistry and Computer Science, University of Denver, Denver, CO
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

Publications

  • Brost, R., Spieles, A.J., Bean, B.G., Leyba, M.D., & Bermudez, L. (2025). Swept-Lookback Deflectometry for High Performance Concentrating Solar Power Optical Metrology. https://doi.org/10.2172/2997322 Publication ID: 160916
  • Brost, R., Bean, B.G., Harvey, E.C., Hwang, M., Larkin, T., Sharpe, J.H., & Smith, B. (2025). OpenCSP Step-by-Step: Getting Started Guide for Windows. https://doi.org/10.2172/2585506 Publication ID: 157252
  • Brost, R. (2024). Sandia’s Interest in the BCS Round-Robin Group [Conference Presentation]. https://doi.org/10.2172/2997349 Publication ID: 161008
  • Brost, R., Smith, B.J., & Bean, B.G. (2024). Hybrid Deflectometry [Poster]. https://doi.org/10.2172/2589649 Publication ID: 160692
  • Brost, R., Smith, B.J., Brimigion, F.M., Bean, B.G., & Evans, A.T. (2024). SOFAST 2.0: Open-Source Deflectometry for CSP [Poster]. https://doi.org/10.2172/2589648 Publication ID: 160688
  • Brost, R., Smith, B.J., Brimigion, F.M., Bean, B.G., & Evans, A.T. (2024). SOFAST 2.0: Open-Source Deflectometry for CSP [Presentation]. https://doi.org/10.2172/2589648 Publication ID: 153680
  • Brost, R., Smith, B.J., & Bean, B.G. (2024). Hybrid Deflectometry [Presentation]. https://doi.org/10.2172/2589649 Publication ID: 153684
  • Brost, R., Smith, B.J., Hwang, M.H., & Larkin, T.J. (2024). Dual-Image Color Normalization to Enable High-Performance Concentrating Solar Optical Metrology. https://doi.org/10.2172/2430263 Publication ID: 148000
  • Smith, B.J., Brost, R., & Bean, B.G. (2024). OpenCSP Deflectometry Technical Description, Document Version 1.0. https://doi.org/10.2172/2636941 Publication ID: 160844
  • Smith, B.J., Brost, R., & Bean, B.G. (2024). SOFAST 2.0 User Guide and Technical Description, Document Version 1.0. https://doi.org/10.2172/2636931 Publication ID: 160840
  • Phelps, N.C., & Brost, R. (2024). Characterizing a Precise Ground Truth Mirror for CSP Optical Metrology [Conference Presentation]. https://doi.org/10.2172/2585716 Publication ID: 157696
  • Smith, B.J., Brost, R., & Bean, B.G. (2024). OpenCSP Camera Calibration: Document Version 1.0. https://doi.org/10.2172/2463025 Publication ID: 154984
  • Smith, B.J., Brost, R., & Bean, B.G. (2024). Scene Reconstruction User Guide. https://doi.org/10.2172/2463024 Publication ID: 154980
  • Brimigion, F.M., & Brost, R. (2024). SOFAST CAD Layout Tool Overview and User Guide (Document Version 1.0). https://doi.org/10.2172/2429907 Publication ID: 154512
  • Brost, R., Smith, B.J., Brimigion, F.M., & Evans, A.T. (2024). Optical Effects of Temperature Change for Heliostat Mirrors [Conference Presentation]. https://doi.org/10.2172/2586131 Publication ID: 159124
  • Montecchi, M., Benedetti, A., Cara, G., Torres, F., Bern, G., Roger, M., Lupfert, E., Kesseli, D., Zhu, G., Smith, B.J., & Brost, R. (2024). Preliminary Results of the 3D-shape Round-Robin. https://doi.org/10.2172/2430011 Publication ID: 147524
  • McNamara, L.A., Brost, R., & Small, D. (2023). Estimating the Value of Automation for Concentrating Solar Power Industry Operations. AIP Conference Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.2172/1824743 Publication ID: 76144
  • McNamara, L.A., Brost, R., & Small, D. (2023). Estimating the Value of Automation for Concentrating Solar Power Industry Operations [Conference Paper]. AIP Conference Proceedings. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85177570040&origin=inward Publication ID: 76094
  • Tian, M., Desai, N., Bai, J., Brost, R., Small, D., Novick, D., Rafique, M.Z.E., & Yao, Y. (2022). Toward Autonomous Field Inspection of CSP Collectors with a Polarimetric Imaging Drone [Conference Presentation]. https://doi.org/10.2172/2006167 Publication ID: 121380
  • Brost, R. (2022). Question-Based Gap Analysis of Heliostat Optical Metrology Methods [Conference Presentation]. https://doi.org/10.2172/2005233 Publication ID: 118392
  • Brost, R. (2022). Heliostat Consortium Roadmap: Advanced Manufacturing Gap Analysis [Conference Presentation]. https://doi.org/10.2172/2004835 Publication ID: 118164
  • Brost, R. (2022). Concentrating Solar Optics Laboratory [Presentation]. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2002241 Publication ID: 109928
  • Brost, R. (2022). Posters for Concentrating Solar Optics Lab, Version 1 [Presentation]. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2002173 Publication ID: 109660
  • Smith, B.J., & Brost, R. (2021). Sandia Optical Fringe Analysis Slope Tool (SOFAST) Improvement Effort (Final Report). https://doi.org/10.2172/1855054 Publication ID: 79918
  • Brost, R. (2021). HelioCon Roadmapping Workshop — Advanced Manufacturing Breakout Session Recap [Presentation]. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1899281 Publication ID: 76736
  • McNamara, L.A., Brost, R., & Small, D. (2021). Estimating the Value of Automation for CSP Industry Operations [Conference Poster]. https://doi.org/10.2172/1887727 Publication ID: 75716
  • Novick, D., Brost, R., Small, D., & Jackson, N. (2021). Here Comes the Suns – Flight Safety for Unmanned Aircract Over Active Heliostat Fields [Conference Poster]. https://doi.org/10.2172/1887739 Publication ID: 75729
  • Brost, R. (2021). Distortion Effects in CSP Mirror Reflections [Conference Presentation]. https://doi.org/10.2172/1888702 Publication ID: 75731
  • Brost, R., Apostolopoulos, P., Small, D., Novick, D., Jackson, N., Mann, M., & Tsiropoulou, E. (2021). High-Speed In-Situ Scanning of Heliostat Fields [Conference Presentation]. https://doi.org/10.2172/1888689 Publication ID: 75733
  • Brost, R. (2021). Distortion Effects in CSP Mirror Reflections [Conference Paper]. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0149880 Publication ID: 75979
  • Novick, D., Brost, R., Small, D., Jackson, N., & Mann, M. (2021). Here Comes the Suns ? Flight Safety for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Over Active Heliostat Fields [Conference Paper]. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0149896 Publication ID: 76006
  • Brost, R. (2019). Siting Energy Storage for Resilient Distribution Systems [Conference Poster]. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1662015 Publication ID: 65006
  • Brost, R. (2019). Siting Energy Storage for Resilient Distribution Systems – Supplemental [Conference Poster]. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1643642 Publication ID: 65014
  • Link, H.E., Richter, S.N., Leung, V.J., Brost, R., Phillips, C.A., & Staid, A. (2019). Statistical models of dengue fever [Conference Poster]. Communications in Computer and Information Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6661-1_14 Publication ID: 60260
  • Brost, R., Little, C.Q., McDaniel, M., Peter-Stein, N., & Wade, J.R. (2018). Eyes On the Ground: Final Report [Presentation]. https://doi.org/10.2172/1481637 Publication ID: 147128
  • Brost, R., Carroll, M.J., Dennison, D., Goforth, J., McLendon, W., Morrow, J.D., Neil-Dunne, O.D.’., Parekh, O.D., Patterson, A.J., Bays, N.R., Strip, D.R., & Woodbridge, D.M.K. (2017). Geospatial-Temporal Semantic Graphs for Automated Wide-Area Search. https://doi.org/10.2172/1527318 Publication ID: 103988
  • Stracuzzi, D.J., Brost, R., Phillips, C.A., Robinson, D.G., & Woodbridge, D.M. (2014). Computing Quality Scores and Uncertainty for Approximate Pattern Matching in Geospatial Semantic Graphs. https://doi.org/10.1002/sam.11294 Publication ID: 147240
  • Brost, R. (1995). Automatic design of 3-d fixtures and assembly pallets [Conference]. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/196583 Publication ID: 88732
  • Brost, R. (1995). A CAD tool that automatically designs fixtures and pallets [Conference]. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/168694 Publication ID: 88480
  • Brost, R. (1995). Empirical verification of fine-motoion planning theories [Conference]. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/76365 Publication ID: 86244
  • Brost, R. (1994). Natural sets in manipulation tasks [Conference]. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10120706 Publication ID: 138680
  • Brost, R. (1992). Probabilistic analysis of manipulation tasks: A research agenda [Conference]. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10185743 Publication ID: 143428
  • Brost, R. (1990). Dynamic analysis of planar manipulation tasks [Conference]. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5709958 Publication ID: 133244
Showing 10 of 43 publications.