Development Engineer Interview
Engineering Application Development Question(s) & Actual Evaluation
Please refer to the evaluation for more insight.
-
Classification: Development Engineer
-
Topic(s): Engineering Application Development
Can you explain your experience with MATLAB and Simulink in the context of modeling and simulation for control systems?
Candidate's Answer:My experience with Matlab comes from my bachelors where I began to learn Matlab to solve operational research related problems, which are mostly matrices and vectors. However this background in matlab helped me to quickly adapt to use matlab and simulink in advanced control applications.
During my masters, I was taked to solve several non linear problems using simulink. For example, a simple model I designed was lateral and longitudinal control of guided vehicle, which was also very similar to my bachelors project. Here I used simulink to control the steering and speed of the vehicle to stay on the path defined or the set point path.
Initial parameters such as position, acceleration and orientation were used to update the next position. I have also worked on few non linear problems, which are of 2nd and 3rd order equations using simulink.
Another example is when I was working in a project under the supervision of my professor of Machine dynamics and systemic dynamics, where I was tasked to calculate forward kinematics and inverse kinematics of the robotic arm for its control, and later design this in simulink
Your answer provides a solid overview of your experience with MATLAB and Simulink, particularly in the context of control systems. You effectively connect your foundational knowledge from your bachelor's degree to the advanced applications you engaged in during your master's program. Here are some strengths and areas for improvement:
Strengths:
1. Relevance: You linked your experience with both operational research and control systems, showing a broader application of MATLAB skills.
2. Specific Examples: Providing specific examples like the guided vehicle and robotic arm projects illustrated your practical experience.
3. Problem-Solving Aspect: Discussing the control of the vehicle and kinematics gives insight into your analytical skills and ability to tackle complex problems.
Areas for Improvement:
1. Depth of Technical Detail: Although you mention solving non-linear problems, delving deeper into specific methods or techniques (e.g., PID tuning, state-space representation) would demonstrate a more thorough understanding.
2. Results and Impact: Highlighting the outcomes or findings of your projects could give insight into your results-oriented mindset.
3. Team Collaboration: Mentioning teamwork or collaboration during these projects could reflect your ability to work effectively in a development environment.
To improve your answer, consider including technical details about the methodologies used, the challenges you faced, and what you learned from each experience. Also, highlight any tools or add-ons you leveraged in MATLAB/Simulink that enhanced your projects.
Rating: 3.5/5.