Gary Babcock Gordon

Gary Gordon
Occupation(s)	Naval officer, engineer, inventor, associate professor
Known for	Invention of the optical computer mouse, development of computer circuit testing tools
Notable work	Optical computer mouse, Logic Probe, Logic Clip, Logic Pulser, HP’s first Logic Analyzer

Gary Gordon is a retired naval officer and engineer who serves as an associate professor at San Jose State University. He is also a Fellow at Agilent Technologies and a co-founder of Cambotics, a firm that focuses on robotic studio camera dollies.

With more than 100 patents to his name, including the invention of the contemporary optical computer mouse, Gordon's innovations have been featured on over 20 covers of journals and magazines. During his tenure at Hewlett Packard, he created essential tools for computer circuit testing, such as the pioneering Logic Probe, Logic Clip, Logic Pulser, and HP’s first-ever Logic Analyzer. His leadership extended to projects like HP’s laser interferometer for distance measurement, the ORCA Robot, and various instruments used in analytical chemistry and bioscience. In 1999, he was honored with HP’s inaugural Prize for Innovation due to his co-creation of the optical computer mouse, which detects movement by correlating images from the surface beneath it.

Gordon’s charitable initiatives emphasize assistive technology development, including eye-tracking software that enables cursor control and the SoftSwitch device designed for individuals with paralysis. Additionally, he supports education in radio technology through his involvement with Handiham radio camps.

In 2017, the Computer History Museum produced an oral history video and transcript highlighting Gordon’s professional journey and contributions to digital computing.