Twisthink Co-op Part 1
Christopher
Experience Information
Employer: Twisthink
Job Title: Engineering Intern
Major: Electrical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Twisthink is a technology and innovation consulting firm that has a strong base in business development and new product strategy. Twisthink works in a variety of fields such as embedded systems, vision systems and product design which has enabled them to partner with companies such as Whirlpool, Stryker and Herman Miller. There office is located right in downtown Holland, MI. The company culture revolves around bringing the best hospitality, experience, design and success to their clients in the racing speed of innovation. Also, the team at Twisthink has monthly mountain bike rides, sponsored team runs and everything in-between. Finally, with a small office, around 30 engineers, there is a lot of room for team activities, grill outs, end of the workday drinks and outings.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
During this semester I worked on vision system projects, test setups, Wi-Fi pattern testing, board modifications and component tests. Since Twisthink is a consulting firm, it gave me the opportunity to work on a variety of different projects for a variety of companies. For the vision system projects I ran tests with multiple camera captures and wrote a variety of MATLAB scripts to analyze the results and modify the images. This also involved a lot of data formatting and developing file structures. For the test setups I build and evaluated setups for Wi-Fi pattern testing and fluid water sensing. I also did a lot of Wi-Fi pattern testing to determine the best locations for Wi-Fi board and external antennas on appliances. This involved mass data collection, data analysis, board programming and board modifications. Over the course of the semester I assisted in the rebuilding and redesign of the test platform that we currently used for Wi-Fi testing. Finally I did a lot of board modifications that included working under the microscope to change resistors, rewiring board and making a variety of harnesses.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
During this semester I learned a ton about Wi-Fi modules, Wi-Fi patterns and what makes for the best Wi-Fi designs. Also, I believe that I advanced my coding skills (MATLAB and Linux) and my understanding of MATLAB functions. I also gained knowledge in firmware over the air testing, vision systems and deep learning. Finally, I learned a lot about board modifications, micro-soldering and designing efficient connectors.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of the experience was the people and the company culture that surrounds them. The group bike rides were great and exciting because of the wide range of skill levels. There always seem to be an event going on such as picnics, group runs or even just lunchtime activities. It was awesome to build professional connections and get to know my team members. One of the perks of a smaller company is it give you the chance to really meet those who you are working with.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
After this semester I am excited for classes in the fall because it will give me a chance to learn more and build up my skills for my next co-op rotation. In addition, this semester has allowed me to understand what areas of Electrical engineering that I want to build upon in the future.