He is known for various work related to the field of energy and has also been credited as an early pioneer of electron beam lithography, which has become a key mask-making technology for modern microelectronics.
[9] Early in his career at SRI, Shoulders made the first 12 quadrupole mass spectrometers[10] and then later worked with others such as mouse inventor, Douglas Engelbart and Jerre Noe.
It combined the features of a car, a helicopter (a rotor on the roof for take-off and landing) and a small airplane (rigid wings and a rear propeller).
Shoulders developed preliminary sketches and specifications, promoting the idea of a ground-to-air vehicle that could rescue long-distance commuters from hours of grid-lock traffic.
In 1963, Shoulders asked the California State Senate’s Transportation Committee for permission to use his invention on public roads, and in 1964 they agreed.