Meet our pioneer: Lotte van Dasler

Who are you?

I’m Lotte van Dasler and I am 23 years old.

What do you study?

I am currently doing the master Biomedical Engineering with a specialization in orthopaedic biomechanics at the Eindhoven University of Technology. I am in the first year of my master's. I still have 1.5 years to go before I graduate.

Are you going to do a master's degree after this?

What I would like to do is a PDeng, called Qualified Medical Engineer. PDeng is fairly new and not well known at all. It's a 2-year technology designer program. It aims to train people with a background in (bio)medical engineering (or related) to be effective (technological) designers within healthcare. Qualified Medical Engineers support healthcare professionals in the robust and safe introduction of new (advanced) technologies into everyday care. They also ensure that this technology is properly and safely deployed in the long term.

Why do you work in this team?

I initially joined Solar Team Eindhoven because of the challenge. To design and build a vehicle within 1.5 years. Because we are independent and free of the market and university we can innovate super fast. This makes it possible to realize the project within 1.5 years.

Secondly, I thought it would be very cool to be able to do something that would benefit others. By inspiring others to accelerate the energy transition - in both mobility and energy - we can have a major impact on the environment.

Do you work full-time on the team?

I started working part-time in December 2020, because at that time I had not quite finished the first semester of my master's degree. Since January, I have been working full time in the team.

What do you find important in a job later?

What I find important in a job later is that I can still learn things. I think it would be very nice to have a job where different fields come together and create something that can apply to other people. I also think it is very important in a job that everyone is equal and everyone can have his/her voice heard. There should be a good ratio of formal and informal. In my opinion, the best working atmosphere is one that is also sociable.

What would you like to do later on?

Later I would like to be the bridge between the doctor/patient and engineering. To understand the technical language of engineering, but also the needs of the doctor/patient and be able to translate these two into something mutually reinforcing. I would like to do something that benefits other people. Creating something that benefits people seems cool. Or explaining technical medical things and equipment to others so that they also understand it and can work with it.

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

Studying in Brainport Eindhoven offers so many opportunities. Because there are so many companies (in my field) here it gives a lot of inspiration for what I would like to do later on and what I could do later on. It also offers many opportunities to visit companies to get a little insight or to spar about certain topics. The great thing about Brainport Eindhoven is that the companies always see and treat you, as a student, as an equal. On the one hand, this gives you a lot of responsibility, but on the other hand, it also indicates that they (the companies) believe in you.

In terms of life in Brainport Eindhoven, I always enjoy the lights when it’s dark. Nothing is cosier and more fun to see when the city is completely lit up with lights. I come from near Utrecht and there you have of course the beautiful old buildings and canals that create a great atmosphere. I sometimes miss that in Eindhoven.

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

If there is something I have learned during my time with Solar Team Eindhoven, it is that more is possible than you think. By pushing yourself beyond the limits you can get so far. If you believe in it and are driven anything is possible. Even though there are people who say it's not possible, together with the help and knowledge of others anything is possible. We can predict the future by creating it ourselves.