In our latest entry for Women’s History Month we chat with Mengdi Wang a Product Engineer at Geek+. As a change of pace from our usual chats with PR specialists and marketing experts, we get to talk with someone from an engineering background about what inspires her work. We learn about how she got started with Geek+ and what motivates her as an engineer in robotics. Mengdi started her career in logistics almost 10 years ago but hadn’t joined Geek+ until about 2017. Even as a young child, Mengdi found interest in building airplanes, miniature cities, and toy cars. Her childhood dream was to be an architect, and while she isn’t quite an architect, she still helps build some incredible solutions for clients around the globe.
Q: Hi Mengdi, tell our readers about your work at Geek+.
Mengdi: I work as a Product Engineer in the Picking Division. I’m responsible for scheme design, implementation of picking products, and training for pre-sales business. It's been six years, since I joined Geek+. It’s a great honor to help make so many products and see them promoted and taken to market.
Q: When did you first get involved with smart logistics?
Mengdi: My major is Logistics Engineering. After graduation, I started my career with logistics integration design and have been in the logistics industry for 9 years. I joined Geek+ in March, 2017 and have been working as a Product Engineer ever since. Looking back, I am very glad that I made the right choice. I think anyone is lucky if they find something they love to do as a profession. When I was young, I was different from ordinary girls. I liked to assemble buildings,airplanes,car models. My childhood dream was to be an architect . Now I have realized half of my dream as an architect by building a robot warehouse.
Q: What do you find most fascinating about the industry?
Mengdi: Before Geek+, I focused on designing traditional logistics solutions. Robot logistics are more flexible and intelligent, which can leave more possibilities for designers and more room for play; this allows us to achieve things that seem impossible.
Q:Have you ever had a work experience that surprised you in a positive way?
Mengdi: Yeah. With ShuttleDock last year-- Our entire project team was united as one. In just 3 months, we completed the prototype, iteration, system design, development, joint adjustment, testing, and improvement of the whole scheme. Working on the product step-by-step and seeing it completed is what makes me the happiest.
Q: How has being involved in the industry enhanced your professional skillset?
Mendgi: This is a new industry and it's different from traditional logistics. The most important thing is to learn from some predecessors in our company. There are many talented people here and I need to learn more from them. I always believe in “learn by doing”. We constantly learn the advantages of the traditional logistics industry and compare them with advanced robotic solutions; this is essential for us to come up with new and better designs.
Q: What inspires your work?
Mengdi: Inspiration is a gift. As a Chinese saying goes, "Go forth and accumulate [knowledge] over time". I'm a slow starter, so it's hard for me to get a lot of ideas down all at once. I need more research, more learning, more comparisons, more knowledge before I can come up with something new.
Q: Do you have any favorite sports?
Mendgi: I loved watching NBA when I was young, and Dwayne Wade is my favorite. He has excellent skills. Compared to other NBA stars, he is more low-key and reserved. I prefer people who work quietly.
Q: What’s one thing you’ve learned since joining Geek+?
Mendgi: I have learned a lot in the past five years at Geek+. The most important thing is "faith"; faith in our products and faith everything will go well. As a Product Engineer, after designing a scheme, I should fully believe in the product so that I can deliver it to others and promote the product to the market. We need to unite everyone and encourage them to do this thing well together as one team. The sense of faith makes me fully devoted to what I'm working on, and it allows everyone to see my confidence. Sometimes products need to be delivered in a very short period of time. Faith makes miracles happen.