Question: what have u invented? and do engineers make a lot of money?

Matthew Oldfield answered on 5 Mar 2016:

Most of my work is done in teams. So I can’t claim the credit for inventing something on my own!

I have led projects that have developed a new retractor for robotic surgery and a method for using the vibrations from the road to power bicycle lights. The project I work on for most of the time is a new invention (my boss had the idea) for a steerable needle used in brain surgery. Even if the overall project is not my idea – like the steerable needle, being an engineer and in the job that that I have allows me to be creative and invent practical solutions to problems all of the time.

Engineers can make a wide variety of money in their jobs. We are not paid as well as some careers (like financial workers for example) but I am very happy with what I earn and I also love my job. Some engineers will earn an awful lot more money than I do, and if they can sell an invention then they may become very rich. Some engineers, particularly at the beginning of their career will earn less than me. It is a lot harder than it sounds to have a good idea and make a lot of money from it though.