There are many reasons to be an engineer. Employability, compensation, and stability in a career are some of the reasons that those looking from the outside might give. But in my opinion, the biggest reasons are the exciting opportunities to push technology to new frontiers in previously unimagined ways. Here are five companies that stand as examples of 5 unique industries and the incredibly exciting innovation that engineers can be a part of.
Google [x] Makani
Renewable Energy
You may or may not have heard of Google [x] but I'm sure you've heard of their flagship products. Google Glass and Google's self driving cars are among the most well known. Most of Google [x] is held pretty close to the chest but Makani is unique in that it was originally a start up later acquired by the search giant. Makani now stands to represent the frontier of renewable and sustainable energy.
You thought giant wind turbines were a cool way to create electricity. Makani replaces the turbine with a 20 foot wide glider tethered to the earth to reduce the production costs of the huge turbine and still harvest the lions share of the energy available from the wind.
Cost effective, renewable energy will be a pursuit of engineers for years to come, why not start with an innovative start up funded by one of the most powerful companies in the world?
Intuitive Surgical
Healthcare and Robotics
I realize I am double counting here, but it is appropriate. If you haven't had a chance to look up footage of the da Vinci surgical system, go ahead and do so now. It's alright, I'll wait.
Intuitive Surgical is the leader in surgical robotics and has a mighty impressive product. If you ever get a chance to test drive one of their systems (which isn't that hard to set up if you ever are close to Sunnyvale, CA) then you know where they get their name. Despite being an incredibly complex robotic system, it seamlessly integrates the human into the loop and the result is a surprisingly easy to use, and yes, intuitive system.
There is a lot of debate out there over the merits of these in surgery but the studies are out there. The patient value has been measured in reduced operation and recovery time for many procedures. Companies like this show that robotics and engineers are here to stay when it comes to healthcare.
Lockheed Martin
Defense
It would be a lie if I said that a large portion of engineers didn't get into the game in the first place for the sole purpose of wanting to design a jet fighter or jet engine. Lockheed has been in the business as long as anyone and has an impressive resume.
Most recently the F-35 has wowed the international industry by becoming the most expensive weapons system ever. A single unit will only put you out around $200 million dollars (depending on the bells and whistles that you include).
Tesla
Automotive
Cars may be the number one reason that people decide to become engineers. Especially for mechanical engineers. Tesla represents innovation in a long established industry. Who knows if the electric car will one day overtake the traditional gasoline engine, but it has undeniably started to disrupt the industry.
Additionally, since the entrepreneurial giant Elon Musk has decided to release much of the intellectual property surrounding his electric cars, the industry will likely start booming. The coming years will be exciting in the automotive world, for sure.
NASA JPL
Aerospace
If you're not impressed by successfully sending a rover to all the way to Mars then you may need to reconsider your choice to become an engineer. Imagine the challenges involved in designing and building a nuclear powered, scientific laboratory on 6 wheels. Now imagine having to design and build all that and then send it and control it from only 140 million miles away. That is some mighty impressive engineering!
The NASA of the future may be sending more than just rovers to Mars. There may be engineers alive today who will pioneer the spacecraft that takes the first astronauts to another planet.
