• Question: what is your job

    Asked by jls123 to Ant, Dan, Matt, Mike, Steph on 13 Mar 2012. This question was also asked by onedirectionareamazing, joe007, smithy1d.
    • Photo: Mike Salter

      Mike Salter answered on 12 Mar 2012:

      My job is to design some of the electronic parts on a satellite. The group I work in specialises in making cameras – so essentially I design digital cameras that are able to work in space.

      Firstly I’d work out which electronic parts I need to make my circuit – this drawing is known as a schematic. Then I’d design a Printed Circuit Board which is the actual board all the components are attached to. Once the board has been manufactured the components are soldered on. Then I have to test the board to make sure it works correctly, if it doesn’t I have to go back to the schematic and make some changes! Once everything is working it gets put on a satellite and sent into space!

    • Photo: Matt Maddock

      Matt Maddock answered on 13 Mar 2012:

      I’m a Radio Frequency (‘RF’) Technician – basically I work in the RF area of a particle accelerator. I help to keep it running and improve it when we get the chance. I spend my time building devices and making cables, solving other people’s problems and fixing the many things that can go wrong!
      There are more boring things to do as well, of course – we have thousands of cables carrying information from all over the lab and if they’re not labelled up properly, it gets very confusing, very fast. Someone has to make those labels and I make my fair share.

    • Photo: Dan Veal

      Dan Veal answered on 13 Mar 2012:

      I measure all kinds of things by building and testing equipment. So for example, a vibration measurement platform where you can put something (like, you mobile phone when it’s set to vibrate and rings…) and i can tell you the forces (is it enough to hurt your hand? is it comfortable?) and how fast they’re going (shaking fast, or too slow, liek the battery is low?).

      Also distances. So I’m designing a camera that looks at shiny spheres I put around a room, and if I have another camera somewhere else looking at the same sphere, i do some maths and can figure out where it is in the room. So it’s like measuring a distance without having to touch anything.

Comments