A day in the life of a Motion Analysis Software Engineer

There are many great software and computer engineers who have left a mark in history: from Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt, the brains behind Google; to James Gosling, the creator of the Java programming language. 

It’s no surprise then that as technology has progressed, software engineering has become a very sought-after career path. For Greg Hultberg, who has been working as a Software Engineer for Motion Analysis for the past three years, the broad scope of the field is a big drawcard – especially within the motion capture industry.

“There are so many nooks and crannies for us software engineers to explore. From biomechanics to manufacturing to animation, there’s always someone working on a fascinating project and there’s always an opportunity to develop new and advanced features. I specifically work on implementing software features, fixing software bugs, and creating new software products. But at the end of the day, the most important aspect of my job is making sure that the work I do is of the highest quality and meets the needs of our users.”

But how do you respond when a pandemic hits the planet and you’re forced to try to operate at full capacity from home? 

“I am very grateful that I am able to work remotely and am enjoying it so far. However, I do believe in work-life balance and so have established a few rules for myself. I make sure to take a break every couple of hours to play with my dogs, I don’t work on the weekends and I set strict start and end times for the day. I am also grateful that Motion Analysis offers a flexible work schedule with an adequate amount of time off.”

While most of us struggled to get a good WIFI connection, or set up something that resembled a home office, Greg was using his computer science skills to set up a mini mocap system in his home and remote into the Motion Analysis large system as needed. This speaks to his dedication to delivering high quality work and making sure he can continue to grow his knowledge in the field. 

“I feel like an important and needed part of the company and I can see how my contributions are appreciated by our clients, but I also know I have a lot more to learn. By setting myself up with a mini mocap system at home, I’m able to keep developing my engineering skills and hope to be as well-versed in motion capture and software engineering as my colleagues one day.”

But in order to do this? 

“Be patient”, advises Greg. “I remind myself that I am working with highly complex software and hardware and that although the problems that arise are going to be tough, the real reward lies in solving them.”  

Who knows, perhaps that posture of patience and commitment to keep growing his skill set will be what lands Greg in the history pages alongside the likes of Larry Page and James Gosling one day.