IMRSVRay Ltd.

Working in a small team required me to adapt to different roles daily. This included anything from ideating specific product features and implementations to devising market strategies.

Developing the product required a great deal of ideation and problem solving especially due to the mechanical complexity. The concept also utilised some technologies with low TRL levels - this meant a lot of the information wasn't available online and had to be determined through experimental approaches.

To develop the product efficiently all of the team needed to have a collective vision. This was achieved by using a complete system diagram to define the product.

A complete CAD plan was created before procuring any components. This enabled me to analytically test aspects of the design using tools such as FEA or SOLIDWORKS Motion Studies. This ensured the design was feasible and that the parts could be iterated before production. The CAD model was modified to form a looks like prototype and rendered to be used for investors.

Surrey Universities Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP) were heavily involved in the development of the products' audio system. This challenged me to build up an understanding of spatial audio allowing me to input ideas for the Innovate UK proposal.

My contribution at IMRSVRay can be generalised to aiding the creation of its first works like prototype and revised looks like prototype - which was a highly collaborative effort. Additionally, I helped to secure funding for specific aspects of the product in the next stages. Some more specific areas where I focused my work were:

- Initial product research and Ideation

- Producing investor materials - including product renders

- System design, development and diagrams

- Lo-Fi prototyping

- Detailed CAD of proposed design - including analytical testing

- Electronic engineering

- Component selection and procurement for prototype

- Manufacturing of prototype in the workshop

Upon reflection, my experience was enjoyable, providing me with the freedom to develop a wide range of skills. I found the hands-on, dynamic nature of a start-up exciting, although occasionally hectic.

I advise DE3 students to prioritise finding a placement tailored to their interests and try something new. I believe it is useful to look at it more as a learning experience than a full-time job and not to overstress about each application - prioritise quantity.