Meet Peter Hill

Meet Peter Hill

What is your job title?

Electronics Engineer.

What do you study and why is it important?

Design, building, and maintenance of equipment for oceanographic and atmospheric research. I designed ‘DTIS’, NIWA’s Deep Towed Imaging System, a video and still camera vehicle that can be towed down to depths of 6000 metres. It has become a primary tool for biological and geological surveys of the deep ocean.

What will you be doing on the voyage?

Operating and maintaining DTIS, the CTD and other electronics equipment used during the voyage

Where were you educated?

Wellington Polytechnic, Auckland and Massey Universities.

How did you become interested in the ocean?

From a young age I became a very enthusiastic diver in the lakes where we lived and that naturally followed into the ocean.

Do you get seasick? And if so, any tips on how not to?

Very rarely, but everyone has their limits.

What do you enjoy about your work?

The myriad technical challenges in making complex equipment work in a very difficult and unforgiving environment. And knowing that every time we do one of these voyages we will see things never seen before.

What are some of the challenges you face?

Grinding out the long hours especially when the weather makes life difficult. Trying to keep a clear head for trouble shooting broken equipment when the pressure is on and your workspace is gyrating in all three dimensions at once!

What have you learned/discovered? What do you hope to learn?

How to get on with everyone on a crowded research vessel. Learning about the intricacies and challenges involved in the other scientific disciplines.

How do you spend your spare time?

Walking, the gym, cycling, movies and theatre. Designing my new low energy house.

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