I heard that you visited Japan several times for the "Sm-ART" project.
Yes, I did. The first time was in 2008. I went to Sodick Head Office for a design review, where I explained "Sm-ART" to members in the company. "Sm-ART" was totally new trial software, so I was not confident whether or not I would gain an understanding. But I'm happy to say it was finally accepted.
Then, I visited the Fukui Plant at the start of 2011. In this visit, I explained about how to use the "Sm-ART" to the people who would actually use the software.
Did "Sm-ART" benefit from you being in Silicon Valley?
Yes, definitely. "Sm-ART" uses an application development framework called "Qt".
A conference on it is held every year in San Francisco and I always attend to gather information.
In addition, most companies developing new technologies are located in this neighborhood, so when something is available, I can visit their offices to take a look. This really makes it easy to incorporate new technologies into our developments, when necessary.
When do you feel that your job is worthwhile?
When a really hard development is safely released in a new product that I can see in pamphlets and posters, I feel “It's really done!” and that I have been rewarded for my hard work. Needless to say, it is also exciting when a product related to my development is sold around the world.
What are the most memorable experiences you have had working at Sodick?
I would say it is my visits to Japan. It was very interesting to meet the people at Sodick in Japan. Communicating with them during the "Sm-ART" design review and meetings to explain its operation made me very aware of their enthusiasm for their work. I often think of the people I met and the places I visited working here in the U.S. Plus, I have always been interested in Japan, so it was also a great opportunity to ride the Shinkansen bullet train and visit Yokohama Landmark Tower, Asakusa, and Shinjuku in my free time.
What about the atmosphere in the workplace and the working environment in Sodick America?
Sodick America may be a company, but we're not too big in size so we have not only working relationships but we are like friends in a family-like, relaxed environment. It is a work-friendly environment where we can work to our full potential. Of course there is pressure to meet work deadlines. With our way of working, we just get told a rough direction, instead of receiving detailed orders. That means I have to use my creativity, which makes me happy and fully motivated.