"Continuing development in pursuit of the best ride comfort"

Mako, Design & Development, Japan

Job Description

Work that pursues ride comfort and handling stability

We are developing suspensions. It is responsible for the design of electronically controlled suspensions that estimate vehicle conditions from vehicle signals and control damping forces. When I say design, my job is not to develop control on the hardware side, but on the software side.

We conduct verification on a desk using simulation, and based on the data, we run an actual vehicle on a test course to measure and analyze the data. Development is a process of trial and error. Even if the results are good on the data, the results of the sensitivity evaluation conducted by people in the car may not be as the data.

In order to solve a problem that I do not know the answer to, I sometimes get into a car with software that I have written with my own hands and experience the effect.
It is not easy to develop a ride comfort and handling stability that has never been seen before. However, it is the best proof that we are making something that does not yet exist in the world. I feel that this is the real thrill of development.

Motivation for Joining the Company

The actual experience of suffering from motion sickness was a motivation for joining the company

When I was little, I often felt sick from riding in the car and hated having to drive places. However, one day, I got out of the car without feeling sick at all.

The driver was the same person as usual; what was different was the vehicle. I experienced firsthand how different the comfort of the ride varied depending on the car.

This experience sparked my interest in the comfort of cars and my desire to be involved in the development of better cars. Of course, when I was looking for a job, I wanted to work for an automotive parts manufacturer. During my search, I became strongly interested in Astemo's technology and decided to join the company.

A Day at Work

8:00	Arrive at Work	Check emails, review work progress, and confirm the day’s tasks.
9:30	Desk-based testing	Conduct simulation-based testing and verification.
12:00	Lunch	Have lunch at the desk, bringing a homemade bento from home.
13:00	Meeting	Weekly group meeting to report progress and review tasks.
15:00	Data analysis	Analyze data collected from on-road vehicle testing.
17:00	Leave Work

Useful Learning and Experience

You can make use of basic knowledge of electricity, electronics, and programming.

I majored in electrical, electronic and information engineering at university. To be honest, I had never learned any direct technology when it came to cars.

However, in the development of electronically controlled suspensions, which is my main task now, the knowledge of electrical and electronic systems that I learned as a student is very useful.

In addition, in simulation and analysis, the basic knowledge of programming that I learned as a student is still useful. The series of development processes such as design, verification, document creation, and reporting was also experienced in the training room when I was a student, so I am able to make great use of it in my current work.

Appeal of Astemo

By coming into contact with diverse ideas and values, you will broaden your perspective

As a global business, people from different countries work in their respective fields of expertise. It is very stimulating to be exposed to diverse values and to feel a broadening of my horizons that I did not have before.

I also find it attractive that I can concentrate on design and development because the work to be done is clear. In the workplace, everyone talks to me without hesitation, so there are no barriers between men and women, and I feel that it is a workplace where anyone can play an active role if they are motivated to work.

Career Path

1st year	Staff	Assigned to the chassis design and development division.
2nd year	Staff	As a design and development engineer, contributed to the development of multiple vehicle models.
Present	Focus on Design and Development	Currently focused on design and development work.
Future	Enhancing Ride Comfort and Stability	Develop mobility that achieves the highest level of ride comfort and handling stability.