Profile

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ANKUSH SHARMA

    • About Me:

      After years of helping global tech companies solve light puzzles in India, I moved to the UK, and I now live in Northampton with my partner. I’m a massive PS5 gamer and a “big time” Apex Legends fan.

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      I don’t just sit behind a screen! To keep my energy up, I’m big into CrossFit and swimming. I love the challenge of pushing my physical limits, just like I push the limits of my simulations. When I want to slow things down but keep my competitive edge, you’ll find me playing badminton or a strategic game of chess.

    • My pronouns are:

      He/Him

    • How I use Maths in my work:

      Have you ever been in a car at night and found a screen too bright, or a reflection on the window annoying? My job is to use mathematics, physics and supercomputers to fix those problems before the car is even made.

    • My Work:

      I work as an optical engineer at Jaguar Land Rover. I use math and physics to shape special lenses so the car can automatically switch between a wide light for city streets, a long-reaching beam for highways, and even project a “hello” animation on the ground when the car wakes up!

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      I’m basically a professional video game designer for real cars. Before a car is even built, I use powerful computers to simulate how all the lights—inside and out—will look. I make sure the dashboard is easy to read, the headlights are super bright, and the buttons glow perfectly so the driver feels like they’re in a high-tech spaceship

    • My Typical Day:

      I wake up at 6am, go to gym for an hour and start my day by putting on a VR headset or opening a massive computer. I don’t have a real car yet—I have a ‘Digital Twin.’ It’s a perfect 3D ghost of a car that doesn’t exist yet.

      My mission today? The designers want a cool glowing wood dashboard. It looks amazing, but I have to use physics to see if that light will bounce off the window and block the driver’s view. If I find a ‘glare monster,’ I have to fix it using math before we spend millions of dollars building the wrong thing.

      By lunchtime, I’m working on HMI—Human-Machine Interaction. I’m designing a screen that ‘talks’ to your fingers. Imagine touching a flat piece of glass in a car, but it feels like a real clicking button.

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      In the afternoon, I tackle the hardest part: Human Factors. I simulate a driver who is tired or driving in a heavy rainstorm. I test the headlights to make sure they’re bright enough to see a cat crossing the road, but not so bright they blind the person driving toward them.

    • What I'd do with the prize money:

      I would probably spend the prize money on creating an unforgettable classroom experience with Haptics kit, glare monster demos and VR headsets. It can make students feel the interior of the car virtually and see what an optical engineer sees during a simulation.

    CV

    • Education:

      My Journey (Where I Went to School)
      Every big career starts in a classroom. Here is where I learned the “superpowers” I use today:

      University (Undergrad): I studied Physics at Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth. This is where I learned the basic rules of how the universe—and light—works.

      University (Masters): I specialized in Engineering Physics and Photonics (the science of light) at the National Institute of Technology, Warangal. This is where I learned how to turn light into technology.

      Internships: While I was a student, I spent my summers at places like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), designing laser systems and invisible infrared lights.

    • Work History:

      Before joining the team at Jaguar Land Rover, I spent five years as a Technical Problem Solver and Researcher, building my ‘light-bending’ skills across top laboratories and global technology companies. During this time,

      Designed Innovations: I created specialized infrared lenses for medical tools at LVPEI and “laser-eyes” for robotic systems at Sahajanand Laser.

      Studied Advanced Physics: I used supercomputers at IIT Gandhinagar to simulate how light behaves at a microscopic level.

      Taught the Experts: Eventually, I became a lead expert at CADFEM, where I spent three years teaching other engineers across Asia how to use advanced software like Ansys to solve their toughest physics puzzles in electronics and automotive design.

    • Current Job:

      I work for Jaguar Land Rover, making sure the cars you see on the road have the “perfect” interior experience.

      Digital Twins: I build “ghost cars” on my computer using tools like Autodesk VRED and Ansys Zemax. I can test a car’s lighting before a single piece of metal is even touched.

      The Glare Fighter: I simulate “glare” (that annoying light that hits your eyes) to make sure drivers can always see the road clearly.

      HMI Design: I help design the Human-Machine Interface. This means I make sure the screens and buttons in a car feel intuitive and easy to use, almost like they can read your mind.

    • Employer:

      Jaguar Land Rover

    • My Interview

      • What did you want to be after you left school?

        I wanted to be a software engineer after leaving school but ended up being an optical engineer.

        Were you ever in trouble at school?

        A lot, for missing the home assignments mostly.

        If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?

        I would always want to be a quantum physicist if I ever get a chance to switch to new role.

        Who is your favourite singer or band?

        Coldplay

        What's your favourite food?

        Kidney beans curry and rice

        If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

        Infinite Contextual Memory, meet Magnus Carlsen (My all time favr8), get a doctorate degree (without leaving my work)

        Tell us a joke.

        I’d tell you a joke about haptic feedback, but I’m not sure you’d feel the punchline.

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