WORKING at Sharp - real lives
Chris - Optical Imaging and Display Systems
As an engineer, I.ve always been driven by the desire to apply technology in practical ways to build innovative products. As a scientist, I.m inspired by the fascination of exploring the unknown, the excitement of the creative process and of turning mere thoughts and ideas into something more tangible. As a person, I find myself motivated by challenging and rewarding work, the opportunity to develop and manage my own career and the chance to contribute positively to society.
So, as a fresh graduate of the Electrical and Information Sciences Tripos at Cambridge University, in 2001 I was attracted to Sharp Laboratories of Europe (SLE) by the prospect of fulfilling these ambitions. I have not been disappointed.
Immediately after joining the System On Panel group at SLE, I was given the task of defining Sharp.s research direction in this field for the next 5-10 years. Emerging as a recommendation from this broad remit, I was directly involved in establishing a small team to start a new project that would focus on integrating sensor functions directly within Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs). This project expanded on existing work in the laboratory and, with the addition of my own new ideas, led to the creation of several prototypes. One of these prototypes was for an image sensor integrated into an LCD which could be used to create an optically-based touch panel capable of detecting multi-point touch input.
Recognizing the potential of this early research prototype, I gained support from colleagues in Japan and worked closely with them to refine the ideas and develop the technology to become suitable for mass production and ultimately for inclusion in revenue-generating products. To this end I was seconded to Japan for a period of 3 years, working closely with the engineers there and resulting in a successful commercial launch of the technology.
During my time at Sharp I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to experience a wide range of technical, business and personal environments. To be involved in a project from conception to commercialization; to learn first hand how the electronics business operates and what life is like at the heart of a large multinational company; to become proficient in a foreign language and live in a country with a uniquely different culture and society. Had I been offered any one of these outcomes back in 2001 I would have been thrilled, to have experienced all has been exceptionally fulfilling.
I am now back at SLE in Oxford and am looking forward to helping others develop winning technologies for themselves and Sharp.
