Wednesday, November 12, 2008

ARL overview

I joined the lab officially last Monday. The whole lab took off for a 2-day retreat on tuesday and wednesday. i.e, my work started with a holiday :)

The lab had booked a resort/beach club called the Changi beach club. The retreat itself was a mix of fun-n-games and discussion/review sessions. I got introduced to all the people, projects and the work culture.

Most of the projects here involve the underwater word: developing next-generation AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles), marine biology, dolphin based SONARs, echolocation and signal processing algorithms for underwater imaging, underwater networking and communication systems, they do it all...

Most of the funding for the lab comes from defense agencies like the DSTA (Defence Science and Technology Agency). Other funding areas include oil exploration, climate change research and environmental monitoring apps, etc. They have around 17-18 Million $ of total funding over the next 2-3 years; out of which about 12 Million $ comes from defense. The lab is very unique in that it runs purely on project money. There doesn't exist any kind of Govt. support or any assured funding.

Everyone works on multiple projects depending on their backgrounds and interests. Everyone gets to choose the projects they want to contribute to. Currently, there are about 12 major projects running. Most projects are inter-disciplinary in nature, requiring people with expertise in diverse areas signal processing, marine biology, networking and communication, mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence, even dolphin trainers and scuba divers!... So given that the lab has only 22-23 full time staff, the only way to execute 12 such projects concurrently is by not having dedicated project teams.

The lab has no timings, you can come and go as you please. If you are on the staff, you get 24*7 access to the lab. (Other than the staff, there are many visiting scientists, students, interns, etc..). The atmosphere is very friendly and informal. Everyone is on first name terms; there is no need to use Sir/Maa'm. Nobody checks on you on a daily basis.

But much as you get freedom, so also do you need to be extremely professional. You absolutely HAVE to deliver your stuff when it is due. Once you take on a certain chunk of any project, it is trusted that you will come up with your part in the next milestone. Other people will depend on you to do so. If you fail, not only does the project fail, but even the lab's reputation takes a hit. The lab is reputed to be among the best in the world, so you absolutely HAVE to live up to it.

I now have a nice big bench to work and cubicle for myself. They tell me i can buy a computer for myself; any model i fancy! So i ordered an Apple MacBook; the latest one with the single aluminum casing. Yayyy :) Back in b'bay, i thought i'll never get to work on a Mac ('coz i'd never buy it myself !) As they say, never say never :)

In other news, i cleared the medical exams and got my E-Pass confirmed yesterday :)

The other day I attended a free piano/cello/violin performance at the NUS school of music. Just for music, they have this huge glass and steel structure with concert halls, orchestra halls, lecture theaters, practise halls, recording studios, and a dedicated music library. Students from across the word come here to study and pursue degrees in music. They have shows almost daily, and most of them are free...

The Univ has lots to offer, i am yet to explore all of it. More on it next time.

4 comments:

Rickson Menezes said...

Wow! Shankar. In a week's time or more, you have realized that you absolutely have to deliver. Now that is real professionalism not even the delivering part beats this.

Very nice to know that you are in such a convenient and comfortable environment. Not to mention the intellectual atmosphere. Good for you Shankar, you are the intellectual kind. You are yielding to it. And sharing with others there, all the things we discuss, to them, you are just a package of 'joy'. I can just imagine how you might be feeling coming from Bombay and a transition to wonderland-concerts, labs, beaches ect. A human's humble effort to create heaven on earth. Just a few signs of how all good things in life are appreciated when they are pure and perfected in Love and virtue. Still, This is nothing to what awaits us. But I am not even getting what you have. I envy you. But my envy only wishes you more joy hope that you make the best of it and keep writing.

tojo said...

Hi there shankar,
this is tojo,
Really pretty happy for the environment your in (both professional and informal)...you seem to be learnin a lot....in a field that you love..(water..)its great to see people do what they love to do....and an awesome choice for a notebook...take care..n keep us all posted on your endeavours...

Unknown said...

hai munna very happy to see the letter and the work plaace of yours. very happy to know that the work place is ver convienent and every one of them are quite friendly. what a wounderful experience you can get and how nice it will be to work in such organisation. there is a saying that the hard effort you put all these days have shown the way to experience more in agood way. do your best in all the work and get a good name in the team and i wish you all the success in your work. keep in touch. bye bye.

Shankar said...

Thanks a lottt, everyone :)

Will try to write more regularly.

Yeah Rickson, you can say rite now i'm really a "bundle of joy": the party is just too good :)