28 Nov Meet Lu, our Senior embedded developer
Meet Lu Dai – Our newest team mate
We’re thrilled to welcome Lu Dai to the Mind team, led by Bram Soete!
Lu Dai is an experienced electronic engineer originally from China. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering and a master’s degree in Information Technology, specializing in embedded systems. Over the past eight years, Lu has developed expertise in integrating hardware and software systems, with a focus on telecommunication, including IP network and radio base station.
In mid-September, Lu and his family relocated to Belgium after living in Finland, including his two children, and has embraced the local community and culture. They settled in Herk-de-Stad, a quaint town known for its small size and cozy, picturesque atmosphere.
Want to know more about his skills? Check out his profile here.
Welcome aboard, Lu!
– Can you tell us a bit about your responsibilities?
Lu: As an embedded software engineer, my primary responsibilities involve software consultancy, with a strong focus on coding and debugging. I work on developing and optimizing embedded systems, ensuring that hardware and software components interact seamlessly. A significant part of my role is identifying and diagnosing issues within the systems, performing detailed analysis to understand the root causes of problems, and then implementing solutions to address them.
I spend a lot of time debugging, trying to locate and fix any errors or inefficiencies in the code, ensuring that the system performs optimally. Problem-solving is a key aspect of my job, as I continuously look for ways to improve functionality, reliability, and performance in the embedded systems I work with.
– What’s the best thing about your job?
Lu : The best thing about my job is the role itself. Working with Linux systems provides me with great opportunities to interact with real-world user scenarios and cases. I enjoy helping users troubleshoot and solve software or system-related problems, which allows me to directly contribute to improving their experience. I’m very familiar with this type of responsibility, and it’s fulfilling to apply my skills in such a hands-on way.
I also really enjoy the aspect of my job where I get to work with both hardware and software. It’s exciting to see both elements come together to create fully functioning systems, and I find it rewarding to tackle challenges that involve both sides of the technology.
– What are the biggest challenges in your work?
Lu: At this point, I haven’t faced any major challenges that feel overwhelming. My work primarily involves software, which I’m very comfortable with, so it doesn’t feel particularly difficult. The nature of the work stays consistent, and I haven’t encountered anything that feels like a major hurdle just yet.
However, one of the ongoing challenges is that the field is constantly evolving. Software and systems are always being updated, which can sometimes feel like a continuous cycle. But I actually find this motivating because it pushes me to learn more and stay on top of new developments. I want to keep growing and developing my skills, and it requires constant practice to truly master the technologies I work with. While more time and experience are needed to fully understand everything, the challenge of continuous learning keeps me engaged and driven.
– Which things are on your bucket list – what do you absolutely want to have done?
Lu: On my professional bucket list, I don’t have any grand or distant plans, but I do have clear goals for the work I want to accomplish. One thing I absolutely want to achieve is to lead a project where I design the necessary components and make the system work effectively. It’s not about having a big vision, but I want to be able to contribute to projects in a hands-on way and learn something new every day. Constant growth and improvement are what drive me.
Personally, I’d love to take my kids to the Arctic Circle in the summer for an adventure. I also want to set up an aquarium at home, similar to the one I have back in Finland (my previous home), where I enjoy caring for fish, shrimp, and plants. I find it fascinating to observe the ecosystem and enjoy the process of maintaining a healthy tank.
– What do you do in your free time?
Lu: In my free time, on working days, I focus on raising my kids and spending quality time with them. I help with their schoolwork, especially math, and we enjoy being together as a family.
On weekends we currently spend most of the time organizing everything in the house, settling things one by one to ensure everything is in order. However, once I have more time again, I look forward to returning to the family-oriented weekends we enjoyed back in China—visiting museums, playing football, going on picnics, and making the most of outdoor activities together.
These days, I also spend a lot of time handling paperwork, but in my spare time, I try to stay active and engaged with my field. As an embedded software engineer, I enjoy reading articles and news related to the latest developments in software and hardware. I want to explore new tools and their features, and experiment with different functions they can offer. It’s a great way to keep learning and discovering new things!