Last Friday the study tour participants and organizing committee visited research organization TNO in Eindhoven. TNO is a research partner for industry and government. At the Eindhoven office TNO we learned about the activities within the branch of science and industry.

The excursion started with presentations on the organization of TNO, its career possibilities and some of the new technologies developed in Eindhoven. Later on we visited several labs to have a glance at the technology itself.

After lunch the group split up in teams to work on a case. We were given the task of designing an Optical Delay Line (ODL) for a satellite-based telescope system. The function of an ODL is to compensate for the difference between the light received in one telescope and the other. It uses a moving mirror to adapt the distance the light travels after passing through the lens.

We closed the day with a drink. Apart from the early wake-up (at six o’clock) it turned out to be an interesting and entertaining day.