WIMTACH Student Profile: Raymond Zhou

Raymond Zhou is a student in the Electrical Engineering Technology program at Centennial College but he wasn’t always sure about pursuing a career in Electronics. When he learned that Artificial Intelligence was becoming more widely used, he naturally thought that electronics would become equally important so he chose the field for a secure employment path. “Having an electrical background, I can then help monitor these systems,” he thought. His introduction to electronic projects at WIMTACH, was his catalyst to developing a budding passion and deeper interest in the field.

As a result, his first real experience with electronics started with his internship at WIMTACH, as he assisted with the research work for a Strategic Intervention for Interaxon. The project collaboration centered on a feasibility study on the use of e-textiles in vital sign sensors. Raymond researched the vital sign sensors, different types of e-textiles, and cutting-edge applications of e-textiles in sensory electronics.

The information in this project lead to a new project to develop the sensors and integrate them into the Muse headband. Over the course of two months, Raymond was able to learn about the often-extensive planning involved in developing processes for an electronics project including the criteria that are required to be met for industry standard products. As he assisted with different stages of research for the project, he was able to build a strong work ethic as he strived to meet project deadlines and milestones. “This was kind of my gateway into learning a lot more about how these projects are even made,” he said.

His internship experience helped him to improve his technical communication skills. “I had to learn about certain words to make my research more specific,” he explained. Through his involvement in regular team meetings, he was able to recognize the value of great delivery when helping others to understand an idea. In a typical week, he would spend several hours researching and creating a PowerPoint presentation to share his findings to his project managers. Then, he would adjust his research based on the feedback he received. At the end of this iterative process, he was able to build confidence in his researching skills, but it also helped him to discover that he enjoys the practical roles in the Electronics field, the kind of work that is considered “field work”. “It’s a little different when you are actually working in the industry,” he said. He also noted that completing the internship during his studies helped him to strengthen his understanding of the concepts that he is learning in school.

As he is graduating in 2026, he hopes to be involved in another WIMTACH project in the future. “With WIMTACH, it’s like the first step for a lot of students into the industry,” he said. In fact, since joining WIMTACH, he has developed a deeper interest in creating his own personal electronics projects and he plans on building his own mini sensor to practice the skills he learned from WIMTACH and his studies.

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