Falk Schönfeld
I'm Falk Schönfeld. I'm a tinkerer, developer, and engineer. Ever since I was a kid I liked to tinker with stuff (I blame my father, he started it). This eventually led me to studying electrical engineering at the Technical University in Munich.
To keep me entertained, to learn new stuff (and sometimes to save money), I like to meddle with things, taking them apart to see how they work, to repair them, or build something entirely new. My first really big, self organized project was a 3D printer, which I got both as a practical counterpart to my first study semester and as a carrot on a stick to keep me motivated while learning: I had to pass all exams to have time to build this afterwards! It worked, I passed all exams easily, and enjoyed the entire experience. I still love the thrill of every new project I plan to take on, gathering the knowledge I need, researching what tools and materials I should use. And in my opinion nothing beats using something you designed yourself, to fit a special purpose, which you have also fabricated on your own.
This is what I hope to share with you here: a bit of insight into some of these projects. Hopefully it entertains you. Some things might even inspire you. And often you can learn from my mistakes. Of course, that goes both ways:
The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer.
Cunningham's LawI love to hear what you think about my projects, especially if you have suggestions for improvement. If you want to get in touch, write me an e-mail at falk.fairfield@gmail.com.
I currently work at WORK Microwave as a system engineer, developing solutions for satellite communication networks
Previously I have worked at Magazino, developing safety solutions for pick & place warehouse logistic robots working alongside humans.
I finished my Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the Technical University Munich by developing a fully automated End-of-Line test system for solid-state LiDAR sensors at Blickfeld.
During my master studies, I spend a year abroad in Bangkok, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. I financed my trip by working in the Sydney Startup Scene as a web and app developer. Here I worked for QA Chef, a quality assurance system for airline catering kitchens, and bsmarter, a networking platform for coworking spaces, that sadly didn't make the cut and went under. It was a great experience for me, as the Aussie job market varies quite a bit from the German one. Add the fact that early stage startups are so small that you take on huge responsibilities, and it should not be surprising that these jobs lead to great insights in challenges of building companies for me.
While in Sydney, I also participated in the Random Hacks of Kindness Hackathon. It was great meeting so many outstanding people while working on a charity project, and to top it off my team even managed to snatch the first price!
During my studies I've also worked for VoltStorage, helping them develop the electronics for Vanadium-Redux-Flow batteries for consumer photovoltaics energy storage.
At University I was part of our student council, representing the students' interests in university decisions and supporting students by answering their questions. I also led the student council's print shop to produce affordable textbooks and lecture notes for our 3000 students for several years.
Should you be interested in working together, you can find more about my professional experience on linkedin or xing.