Alper Atalay's homepage

CHILDHOOD YEARS

His mather and his father

	He was interested in reading, writing, when he started crawling. People would say 'He'll become a great man when he grows up'.
Alper is in his heaviest years. If you didn't recognize him, he is the one on the right with red sweater.

Alper with his mother.
HIGHSCHOOL YEARS


	His interest in computers started when he was in Junior high school (with Cem's Sinclair)

His friendship with computers continued through his highschool years.

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Once, he got interested in body building, he even went to a body saloon.

UNDERGRADUATE YEARS (B.S., 1989-1993)

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Listening to and playing metal music became his obsession during his undergraduate years. However, this never prevented his success in school.

Nobody was home that day, not even the neighbors. So they had a great time and recorded the music they made. Would you like to listen?

If you don't have the MP3 player click below.

Beware of this trio!

(Big Cem, Alper and cousin Cem )

Alper and 'Cousin Cem'. Alper is in his 'photo position' in the second picture.

'When Cem is with me, nobody can do anything to me' he used to say. (Cem was with him at the time of the accident !)

Alper and his Pasha (Mustafa Ünel).

In Bogazici University, senior projects are tough. Aslan (upper right), Alper and Saim (upper left) spent a lot of sleepless nights at school during the last couple of months of their BS study. Of course, every now and then they needed some sleep and used the couch of the the Electrotechnology Club for that purpose. Somehow, TA Mehmet Gokturk (lower) got jealous of them and he started to stay overnight at school. (Spring 1993)


Music was a very important part of his life. He could relax with music even at most difficult times.
	Whenever he found some free time, he would record his music. Here is an example for you (Soon in this page!)
Playing king was the unchangable rule of the weekends and the winner group would boast to the losers the whole week. Well, from the faces we can tell the winners of this week's game are 'cousin Cem and Zihni are the winners this week.
	Gürcan and Alper at graduation
EE'93 graduates
	Cem Hatipoglu, Erdem Tatar, Alper Atalay, Saim Olcay, Prof. Kadri Özçaldiran, Mehmet Aslan graduation day (July 7, 1993)
Erdem Tatar, Alper Atalay,Saim Olcay,Vedat Hallaç, Mehmet Aslan, Cem Hatipoglu, Irmak Alcora.
	'Oh my God, when I enter this room and pick up my diploma, they will call me an Electrical Engineer.'
Alper receiving his diploma from Yorgo, 'Pasha of the pashas'
	'Well guys, here is my diploma.'
I can understand playing cards on a school day, but not on the graduation day!

ALPER'S LIFE at BUPAM LABORATORY

Alper came to BUPAM at September 1993 and from then on, the lab became his second home. When Alper came, BUPAM was a newly found laboratory in a 7 square meter room. He was always there, from 7 in the morning till late evening, including weekends. The laboratory, which consisted only of a 386 PC and a camera when Alper started there is now one of the best equipped laboratories in computer vision, mostly due to his efforts.

The most important items Alper had in the laboratory were his large monitor, (he really worked hard to convince me to get that) his red pencil, (he would have a fit if it got lost) his Pisces coffee cup and his joystick. (and of course his CDs and Yasar (his fish))

He was very meticulous about keeping the lab clean. He had a separate cleaning rag to clean his computer which nobody could touch. His most important properties in the lab were his big screen, his red pencil, his Pisces cup and his joystick.

'Look Murat, the most important phase of machine vision is the acquisition of the image. If you do this part properly, the rest will somehow be OK.'

First BUPAM dinner at my house. (February 1994)

We were celebrating Alper's birthday, Hakan and Rahmi's weddings and Kivanc and Alper Baykut's engagements.

SIU'95 at KAPADOKYA

In April 1995, we went to the SIU'95 Conference at Kapadokya. He was very excited about the trip. Everyday after the conference, we would explore the surroundings and in the evenings we would go to Alper's favourite stone and he would play his guitar. Gurcan and/or Yorgo would join us occasionally.

The flag is the evidence that we reached the top.

'I am the king of these mountains'

'They dragged me to dance, but it isn't bad at all.'
	'I always wanted to ride a donkey. I finally did!!'
On the way back from Kapadokya, we stopped at the Ihlara Valley.

We didn't want to miss anything, so we had to climb through some hard places.

R&D FAIR'95

In June 1995, BUPAM participated in the R&D Fair'95. Alper and I spent weeks preparing for this event. In fact, the preparations were finished at 3 a.m. on June 20, and the fair was starting at 9 a.m. the same day! I wish we had some pictures of that night.

Alper and Rahmi trying to set things up.

'Let me tell you guys. Aytul Hanim is really crazy. She thinks we can turn this demo system with this chicken motor. '

'Vow, I can't believe it. It really worked!'

'Let me explain you how this works'.

'Well Murat, You'll have many more days to sit and ponder. Look at me, I finished my thesis, have no more worries left in life.'
	'We have to immortalize our efforts'. Hey, how does this video work guys?'

Now that everything is set up , we can smile and be happy.

(I am sure Alper is thinking about what could go wrong.)

After several days of hard work, we deserved a nice dinner, didn't we!

FIRST ANNUAL BUPAM PICNIC

We were so tired from the R&D Fair, dinner wasn't enough of a celebration, so we decided to have a picnic and this became an annual BUPAM event afterwards..

At the picnic, he worked very hard at beating me at the fishing game. He commented that he had defended his thesis and had nothing to loose!!

Now, do I make the best barbecue or not?

He was always a child at heart.

GRADUATION DAY (June 12, 1995)

Today was the day Alper was going to receive his Masters Degree in Systems and Control Engineering. He was late to his own graduation. You know why? Well, he was working on a proposal which was important for BUPAM!

He always considered BUPAM's interests more than his own.

He was so proud to be leading student of the graduation ceremony.

Alper and his mother with his two favorite Professors

LONDON TRIP

In July of 1995 we went to London for a joint project with City University of London. This was Alper's first trip abroad and his first experience on an airplane. He was very excited during the whole trip.

Dennis Chamberlain (our partner at City University) took us to an airplane show. This particular plane was Alper's favorite.

Alper with Denis Chamberlain and his kids.

We went to the London Zoo. Alper kept saying 'I want to get on that elephant'. He finally gave in to having his picture taken with it.

Alper didn't like classical tourist photos but he said he would make an exception for Cambridge University.

SIU'97

SIU'97 was held in Kusadasi. This year our entertainment group was bigger. We had Tarkan playing the org and of course, Alper was at the guitar. Our newly recruited singers included Yagmur Denizhan'di.

It must have been a really boring talk for Alper to sleep through it. (Tarkan, Alper, Murat)
	'Eee, all the talks are over. Are we gonna sit around like this? Let's play some pool..'
'Come on, Erkut my son. Put that ball in the hole and let's show these kids what playing pool is all about.'
	'Yagmur hanim, you have to correct your handling of the bar..'

R&D FAIR'97

June 1997 was when the second Research Fair took place at TUYAP. This time, Alper was more like a consultant. He had finally managed to have other people doing most of the dirty work. But when the actual day of the fair came, nothing was working, and it was Alper again to get things running the last minute.

BUPAM team at Research Fair'97

BUPAM PICNIC '97

This year, we were more organized for the picnic. Alper had his guitar, and we had lots of games with us. We have also discovered a great place by the lake.

Alper and his guitar were the highlights of our entertainment as always.

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Here is a song for you from Alper's guitar in his own voice (Soon in this page)

Despite all my protests, smoking cigar has become an annual event too. (Tarkan has started this at SIU'97 at Kusadasi)

'Aysin Hanim, I want to drink what you are drinking, but is that thermos clean?'

This is what I call being an engineer is all about. Good job Selcuk.'

MILITARY DAYS

Alper joined the army in April 1998. When we visited him in his second week as the BUPAM group, he said to people 'Whatever you do, don't join the army', however, after a few weeks, he even started to enjoy his soldier life and had all sorts of stories to tell us about.

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The first thing he did the day he became an officer was to run back to his computer.

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Alper with his dormitory friends (back raw, center).

Alper with his nephew Oguzcan (in Alper's word Tosuncan or Tosun Pasa). (I belive this is his last picture)

Alper loved all kinds of music from Heavy metal to Classical Turkish music. Here are some of his favorite. (soon in this page)
His favorite movie. The only time I saw Alper cry was the last scene of Braveheart.	Alper, Murat and Nevzat would play Warcraft all night long.

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