Oct 29, 2020

#2 From Student to Student – insights into the world of Baumer
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From medical engineering to software engineering in the sensor environment.

Interview with Philipp Novak, software engineer for Windows applications and a former bachelor’s student of medical engineering at the University Furtwangen:

How did you come to the decision to merge medical engineering with sensor technology? 

My first contact with programming, measurement and sensor technology was during my medical engineering studies. Processing measured values by software had raised my special interest, so  Baumer was a great chance to me for intensifying my knowledge both in programming and sensor technology in my bachelor thesis.

What was the topic of your bachelor thesis and what did you find most exciting?

I dedicated myself to surface reconstruction as basis for visualization of 3D objects. The aim was obtaining consistent surface information from the given measured data. I evaluated existing approaches and developed new algorithms. The basic findings of my work found their way into a software for convenient visualization and user access of the data provided by intelligent sensor technology under the aspects IIOT/ Industry 4.0. 

The outcome of my work was considered that useful and positive that it was decided to present my approach at SPS 2019 (Smart Production Solutions), which to Baumer is the most important automation technology exhibition. To me, this meant great motivation and appreciation and showed me that even as a student you can make essential contributions towards innovations that later will reach customers. 

As you know, bachelor theses often end up in drawers, so as a bachelor's student you often ask yourself about the relevance of your work. The tick of Baumer is definitely different – to me it was great that my work was made known to the broad public of a famous trade exhibition. It showed me that at Baumer a student’s work is taken very seriously. 

I found it both challenging and a great experience to present the findings of my work to our Chief Technology Officer for discussion in a relaxed atmosphere. It was great that there were no hierarchy boundaries at all – here you clearly see the flat structures and peer interaction.

What did you think particularly captivating about starting your career start at Baumer?

As a software engineer for Windows applications I would be working in “my” team which was familiar to me from my bachelor thesis.  Still as a student I appreciated the close teamwork, agile development ambiance and the pleasant working atmosphere. 

Team tasks for the further enhancement of Windows software spread over two-week sprints and daily stand-ups. Code reviews and comments ensure regular feedback loops where we mutually benefit from each other’s individual knowledge and expertise.

When starting your career you learn something new every day, particularly these little tips and tricks how to correctly implement code and complex components into a software. I think it’s super to take over more and more responsibility and to work on larger subprojects on my own, e.g. by writing plugins to connect more sensors to the software. This is software engineering under the motto "encourage and support" giving you the chance to gain a foothold in the world of computer science even without an IT degree.
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Being part of a young team with a boss acting more like a colleague, and being given plenty of freedom and flexibility in the organization of my work made it easy to decide for starting my career at Baumer. In addition, the chance of completing my upcoming master thesis in correlation with my job and being supported by Baumer also here confirms my decision. I would definitely do it all again this way. 

You are a student or graduate and the story of Philipp has made you curious? Then experience for yourself what it's like to work at Baumer and start your career with us - whether in an internship, for a thesis, as a student trainee or starting your career. 
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Check out our job portal Stellenportal or contact Mrs. Selina Gehringer, University Talent Manager (0777164741301) to find a matching activity for you at the Baumer Group.

 
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