Internships at Holoxica: One intern interviewing another one
A sit down with Lucie Hrbkova
Lucie is a third year student at Edinburgh Napier University and an intern here at Holoxica where she takes on the role of Software Engineer intern. We sat down with Lucie to have an in-depth conversation about her journey, what it means to be a woman working in the computing sector, particularly in an age increasingly driven by technology.
First off, Lucie tells us how her love for computing first developed in her adolescent years. “Working in computing, what becomes extremely familiar is the act of removing bugs from a program and rerunning it over and over until it works perfectly. It is a long, tedious task that requires a lot of patience, but I have always had a slight obsession with that moment when you hit enter and finally, everything runs smoothly. It is that moment and that feeling, after hours of modifying and adjusting, that is the most rewarding and satisfying and when I am at my happiest. Suddenly, it all becomes worth it just to capture that final moment when everything fits into place”.
Lucie acknowledged the varied scope that lay within computing and being the eager individual she is, tried her hand at many areas including software development, web development and mobile app development. Lucie tells us it is her position as a university student that has allowed her to really explore the breadths of her passion as she believes that in the world of technology, the possibilities are endless.
While Lucie felt herself learning more and more as she applied herself in various ways, experimenting with differing concepts, she tells us it is not until she joined Holoxica that she has felt her horizons expand and her learning accelerate at a rapid rate. Lucie joined Holoxica three months ago as an intern following an interaction that can only be described as ‘love at first sight’. Lucie tells us she was attending a Speed Networking University Careers Fair organised by e-Placement from ScotlandIS where she spoke to various prospective employers including Holoxica. They reached out, and after some interviews, asked Lucie to come on board. “I can vividly remember how excited I was at that moment, the very idea of working in such a high-tech company who have accomplished so many world-firsts was so thrilling to me”. Lucie tells us that her journey with Holoxica has surpassed all expectations that she had, how she was welcomed with open arms by the whole team at Holoxica who were eager to have a young person on board that could provide a fresh perspective. What enabled her to take on such an active role in the company was the visible trust the company had in her and her abilities.
Holoxica’s Geoviewer App running on the 8.9 inch Looking Glass Factory’s Light-Field display.
Lucie came to realise just how much faith the company had in her when she was given the reins to work on her very own individual project which goes by the name of Geoviewer. “From working with front-end styling, designing buttons and navigation bars, to being given my own project was a big step for me. I was apprehensive at first but I have loved every moment spent working on Geoviewer,” Lucie says. “It was the creative freedom that this opportunity afforded me that I found to be truly liberating. Geoviewer really is my own little baby that I was able to work on and nurture into the beauty she is today”. Geoviewer is a holographic software application designed by Lucie with the support of the rest of the team which showcases geographical data in 3D. This process involves geo mapping data from various providers such as Google and displaying that data in 3D on holographic displays. I was able to witness Geoviewer in action as Lucie asked me to pick any country I wanted in the whole world. She then showed me this country in holographic 3D and I was amazed by the level of detail as I could see the entire terrain. “Working at Holoxica, each day comes with the promise of new challenges and therefore, learning experiences. As someone who is still such a novice in the technology field, I find it thrilling to be surrounded by colleagues who have such high levels of expertise and propel my own thinking. I am always acquiring new knowledge and developing my craft. Geoviewer is still being perfected as the company is looking for user requirements and pilots before it can join the many other holographic software products being sold by Holoxica.
When asked what makes Holoxica so special, Lucie answered “Holoxica are true pioneers in the work they do and are revolutionising the world of 3D technology as we know it. Authentic 3D holography is a concept seen only on the polished, edited screens of television and cinema in franchises like Star Wars or The Avengers, viewed only as dreams for the distant future of our world. Holoxica has transformed these into realities for the present day by creating 3D holographic experiences without the need for any glasses or headsets! Working with Holoxica means having a seat on that journey into the future.”
From speaking to Lucie, it is clear where her priorities lie as Lucie expressed how important it is that the work she engages herself in is both meaningful and impactful. Not only does Lucie speak the many languages of coding but she is also fluent in the language of human connection as she is excited by the limitless ways in which humans can interact with technology and improve their lives as a result. Lucie says one of the main appeals of Holoxica was the potential their 3D holographic technology held to benefit a whole range of professional fields including the medical, military and educational sectors. Lucie’s desire to “utilise technology to combat social issues'' has also transferred to her university honours project where she is currently working on designing a mobile application used to tackle eating disorders. The app will incorporate features such as a food diary and gimophication that will allow the user to log and monitor their eating habits and will also use AI technology to predict personalised triggers for the specific user. “My hope is to have these works of advanced technology become available to the general public, and particularly to the youth who are our future generation. What this means is you don’t have to be an expert in technology yourself to enjoy the endless uses that technology has to offer.” Lucie says that humans and technology are not entirely separate entities and never have been with technology having the power to elevate human experience and establish human connection, an idea Lucie feels has become more prominent with the increase of women entering the computing field in contemporary society. With humanity on her mind and technology practically running through her veins, Lucie puts her all into her work, while always keeping the human touch of a hand on the world around her so that she really does encapsulate the best of both worlds.
Interviewed and written by Maryam Butt,
virtual summer intern at Holoxica via Virtual Internships.