Meet Jevgeni, Physics Mastermind at Visual Components

Jevgeni has been a Developer at Visual Components (VC) since June 2019, although he first began working with the company as a master’s thesis student back in September 2018.

Outside of work Jevgeni likes learning new things and reading (he just finished a book on investing and is now tackling a C++ software design book by J. Lakos). When it comes to relaxing you’ll find him watching TV shows such as Game of Thrones or El Chapo on Netflix. He’s also been known to bake bread and pastries on occasion.

What is your career background?

I’m a master’s student from Aalto University. My major is in Control, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, and my minor is in computer sciences. My thesis topic is The Evaluation of Physics Engines in the Context of Manufacturing Simulations, and I only have one or two more courses left before I graduate.

How did you end up working at Visual Components?

Each masters student has to take a compulsory project work course where you create something with a group of four or five other people. My group project was to create an interface for a controlled simulation of a KUKA LWR4+ robot within multiple physical environments.

The project took half a year, after which we presented it at a seminar where Fernando Ubis (Research and Development Manager at Visual Components) was in the audience. Fernando came up to talk with us about the project after and we made a connection. I later applied for the thesis position at VC and here I am.

What about Visual Components caught your attention?

There was obviously a clear continuation of our simulator project in the day to day work at VC.

What has made you stay at Visual Components?

First of all, the people are great and I enjoy being here. Second, the company values really stood out to me during my onboarding at VC, specifically I remember the feeling I had that hey – this is something I can get behind. Third is the possibility to contribute back the knowledge I gained from working on the thesis.

What are your main responsibilities?

I work on stuff related to the physics of simulation software, specifically rigid body dynamics. For now, the focus for me is to clean up the previous code, improve its performance and stability, and then move on to new physics engines and other long-term projects.

What does your regular day look like?

I’ve just transitioned into the Developer role, so I’m still learning the code itself and taking the time to understand what’s happening. Mostly my day is reading, learning, and making changes to code.

What is the most enjoyable part of your day?

At the moment I get to learn new stuff and see new things everyday. Each day is different, so it’s never boring.

Do you have any fun facts or anecdotes about Visual Components?

Oktoberfest was a lot of fun, it was my first time in a beer festival tent. I enjoyed the beer, the vibe, and the singing, but mostly the idea that the company took us all out to do something together.

What advice would you give someone who wants to work at Visual Components?

First of all, have an open mind for learning and improving. From my experience, there is so much to learn even before you get to apply your own knowledge, so be prepared for that and have an open mind. And of course, have the drive and motivation to actually go through the process of learning many things on the job. As well as to apply for the job!

How would you describe working at Visual Components in one sentence?

It is demanding but it is also rewarding.