These days I think most people, even when they're doing experiments regularly,
spend a large amount of time in front of a computer. Whereas one used to list
data straight into the results book and do sums on a slide rule or in the head,
these days one gets 10 or 100 times the amount of data to play with, and the
only way to do it is on a spreadsheet or similar program. Also there are
design and analysis tools for modelling results (e.g. CAD, CFD, FEM, loads of
specialised stuff) so that one can do experiments on a computer. Perhaps you
should be asking us all (a) to say how much time we spend in front of a VDU,
writing and analysing; (b) simply to list the kit in the lab and (c) give an
idea of workshop facilities. These questions will be much eeasier to answer
than your rather vague "how do you spend your day", and it's also more closely
related to the space available. As an exercise, try allocating the size of
rooms in your house dependent on the proportion of time you spend in each. The
bedroom would be huge!
So:
(a) I suspect about 30 - 60% of time in front of a VDU. This is in a room
separate from the lab, and is a place to keep books, records, etc.
(b) kit in our lab (we have some animals and plants, work on robots based on
animal locomotion, make and test materials and little gizmos) - there's a 'wet'
area with sink, drainage, fridge and deep freeze; several microscopes
(polarising; large compound with hardness tester; large compound with computer
and micro-manipulator; large dissecting microscope; computer with video input
for image analysis; at least three testing tanks for testing aquatic propulsion
(2 of them are about 50 x 75 cm, about 50 cm high; the third is about 150 cm
high with footprint 1 m x 5 m); high-speed video with computer; bench-top
Instron; rheometer; water sorptiometer; analytical balance; rapid prototyping
machine; bits of kit + bench space for messing around with fibrous composites
and resin; bench space for messing around with simple experiments, making bits
of electronics, etc.
(c) workshop facilities (shared) - we need work on lathe and mill, general metal
bashing, band saw, drilling, wood work.
Hope that helps.
Julian
Quoting Gideon Purser <[log in to unmask]>:
> Jo,
>
> Thanks for that valuable contribution. I had a position for a network
> manager, but now I have the proper name! Within the building was a public
> exhibition area where displays and exhibits show the latest
> advances/discoveries in the field, so hopefully have that base covered.
>
> But just out of interest, could anyone involved in research/teaching
> possibly just briefly describe what you might get up to in a day? Whether
> the bulk of your work takes place in the lab or not..whether the lab work
> you do consists of sitting in front of a computer, or is it mainly
> testing/analyzing etc.
>
> Many thanks for all your input,
>
> Gideon
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Engineers and biologists mechanical design list
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jo Lakeland
> Sent: 04 March 2005 10:37
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Day in the life..
>
> Gideon
>
> Don't forget that not everyone in your faculty of biomimetics would be
> involved in research. The ideal faculty would include a biomimetics network
> manager, busy in their office running a network that informs the world about
> the vital research being done, recruits members to share their research and
> attracts the interest of industrialists with applications suitable for a
> biomimetics approach!
>
> (The next BIONIS network meeting is 21st March, University of Reading)
>
> Jo Lakeland
>
> BIONIS Coordinator
> Tel: (0)118 378 8923
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> BIONIS: www.biomimetics.org.uk
>
--
Julian FV Vincent [log in to unmask]
Professor of Biomimetics office 01225 386596
Centre for Biomimetic & Natural Technologies mobile 07941 933901
Dept of Mechanical Engineering fax 01225 386928
The University
BATH BA2 7AY
http://www.bath.ac.uk/Departments/Eng/biomimetics/
I hate quotations. Tell me what you know. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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