Peter knew he wanted a career that involved creativity and problem solving – and he found it in a cool robotics gig
As a kid, Peter was interested in problem-solving, whether it was in games or his studies. He realised working in STEM was perfect for him as it’s “filled with problems waiting to be solved with logic and creativity”.
He went on to do a double degree in electronic engineering and computer science, which landed him a job at DSTG, where he now “writes code to make robots work and extract information from them”.
Specifically, Peter builds prototype robots and programs to detect faults and damage in all kinds of materials. One of the things he loves most about his job is that he learns something new on every project.
“I get to know ‘just enough to be dangerous’!” he jokes.
Peter chose Defence because he wanted to work on projects that help other people. He says he’s super grateful for the support of his team, who have helped him feel welcome and that his ideas are always heard.
One of Peter’s favourite projects has been working on something called ‘line scan thermography robots’.
“We built a ground robot from scratch, programmed it to drive in a straight line… We also programmed it to drive in anything but a straight line, just to see what would happen,” he says, adding that it won the team the Best Paper award at a conference.
Peter’s top career tip? “Never give up, keep learning and enjoy the journey.”
Peter’s study and career path to becoming a systems integration specialist at DSTG
- Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours)/Electronic Engineering (Honours)
- Industry experience placement, DSTG
- Graduate, DSTG
- Systems integration specialist, DSTG
This article was first published in Careers with STEM: Defence 2023. For more Defence role models, head to our STEM + Defence role model hub!
