Meet our pioneer: Daniel Riechmann Mendez

Who are you?

Daniel Riechmann Mendez and I’m 19 years old. I’m from Spain and the US.

How did you end up studying at the TU/e?

I wanted to study Mechanical Engineering abroard, but tuition fees in the US and England are very expensive. Besides, Brexit made the situation very unsure. so that’s why I ended up in the Netherlands. The TU/e offered the study in English, while other universities like TU Delft didn’t.

What do you study?

I’m now in the first year of the bachelor Mechanical Engineering at TU/e.

Are you going to do a master’s after this?

Probably, but I’m still unsure about what I’ll focus on. I may decide to do aerospace, or continue within a track in Mechanical Engineering.

Which student team are you in?

I’m captain of Team Daedalus, where I’m also active in Aerospace sub-team. Besides that, there are three other sub-teams: Avionics, Software and PR. We started this team in February 2021. It consists of nine members, all in their first year of study. I met the first batch of them within a challenge-based course offered by the university. Once we figured out we worked well, the idea of starting a student team together surfaced.

What does the team do?

We are developing a drone, which can fly forever as a solar-powered autonomous aerial surveillance vehicle. A lot of applications currently exist for drones, and a very common bottleneck is flight-time. Recharging every 2 hours isn’t very practical, it also greatly reduces the range of operation. As drones are a lot cheaper than helicopters, both to purchase and to operate, there’s a very big incentive to develop this technology. With our drone, we hope to contribute to the fight against pressing humanitarian issues, such as the Meditarranean refugee crisis, wildfire detection and poaching in Africa.

Why are you working in this team?

For me, It’s wanting to have a positive impact on the world. It’s cliche, but it’s wanting to do so now . Not later, after my study. In this regard, I think I can also speak for the rest of the team members.

What do you find important about a later job?

Doing something meaningful. I can’t imagine myself working for a company or institution who’s vision I don’t fully believe in.

What do you want to do later?

I think Aerospace would be great. But I’m just a first year student, so this could change of course.

What do you think of studying and living in Brainport Eindhoven?

Of course lockdown makes everything different, but fortunately I experienced two relatively normal months at the start of the academic year. From the perspective of an international student, the TU/e was quite generous in allowing us to study on campus. Friends in the US, the UK or Canada didn’t have that luxury. So, although the lockdown was a nuisance, it certainly wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. It was evidently also quite necessary.

Initially, I thought Eindhoven was quite small. I’m still amazed I can ride my bike and get to the other side of the city in 15 minutes. I like the environment, although I have yet to visit the museums, stadium and other buildings that have remained closed throughout the year.

I’ve seen a lot of companies volunteering at the TU/e Contest, and I’m m looking forward to experience more of the famed industry cooperation Eindhoven is known for.

What more would you like to tell students in Brainport Eindhoven?

If you have the time and desire to do something besides your study, I greatly recommend participating in a student team. And if you are interested in Team Daedalus, it’s likely we’ll take on some new members in the coming academic year.