WHAT IS OPTIC AND ACOUSTIC ENGINEERING?
With advancing technology, there are now optical devices present in numerous systems we use in our daily lives. Optical engineers provide services by focusing on the research, design, development, and practical application of all devices and equipment that utilize light. While optical engineering primarily builds upon the foundation of physics, it is actually a multidisciplinary program that encompasses a mixture of various disciplines ranging from electrical and electronic engineering to communication, material science, machinery, computer programming, and medicine. Despite being in demand in developed countries and having been offered as a separate program at many universities for many years, this field has been neglected in our country and was first established at Gaziantep University in 2013. The job opportunities in optical engineering are extensive, ranging from defense industry, medical sector, energy field, lighting industry, automotive sector, electronics, communication sector to computer sector. For example, optical engineers can be involved in designing telescopes for astronomy, lenses and cameras for photography, binoculars, periscopes, and topographic devices for military applications, eyeglass lenses, optometry, laser epilation, microscopes, endoscopes, slit lamps, phoropters, ocular tonometry, fundus photography, lensmeters, autorefractometers, and autokeratometers for medical applications, mirror, lamp, LED design for the lighting industry, mobile phones, fiber optics design for the communication sector, optical laser printers, laser, display design for the industrial sector, and more.
Similarly, acoustic engineering, which has become one of the most popular professions in recent years and is available at many universities in developed countries, has been neglected in our country. Today, it is one of the undergraduate programs offered by Gaziantep University. The education provided in this program focuses on topics such as sound, vibration of sound, sound design, sound analysis and control, controlling and reducing unwanted noise in the surrounding environment, investigating how different objects are affected by sound, developing suitable sound recording and production systems, measuring sound levels, and analyzing sound frequencies. One of the main objectives of acoustic engineering is to minimize noise in living or working environments and deliver desired sounds to listeners without distortion, at the necessary intensity and clarity. To achieve these fundamental goals, acoustic engineers design the necessary physical tools, systems, and environments. They are responsible for designing the necessary structures (noise barriers, sound absorbers, mufflers, buffer zones) and calculations for controlling noise in environments such as hospitals, libraries, schools, factories, workplaces, streets, airports, highways, railways, and homes. Another well-known application of acoustic engineering is its involvement in the design of places such as mosques, churches, concert halls, and conference halls, where the quality of sound is of utmost importance. Acoustic engineers contribute to the design and research of these places, ensuring clear audibility of speech from all directions, calculating the distribution and clarity of sound in the environment. Additionally, acoustic engineers work in various fields such as designing hearing devices in medicine, applications of ultrasound, designing all sound systems in electronics and communication (e.g., speakers and microphones), applications of sound recording and testing studios, designing and programming digital sounds in the computer field, developing encrypted signals, and sound recording and presentation in the film and television broadcasting industry. They play a role in many environments.