Adrian Müller and Usama Ali both studied the master's programme in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS). After their third semester, they had the chance to spend a research semester in Sydney with Professor Dr. Tobias Kaupp, Head of the Center for Robotics.
Published on 05 September 2024
A robotic arm, equipped with sensors and cameras to facilitate efficient and safe collaboration with humans: This development process was at the centre of Adrian Müller's and Usama Ali's research semester in Australia, which they spent during their master's programme in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at THWS. Often, a semester abroad is placed within bachelor's programmes. Such a stay abroad is, however, also possible during master's programmes with a standard time to degree of three semesters, for example, by extending the programme to four semesters. But there is not only the traditional semester abroad during which students take courses and exams abroad that are then accredited by THWS. Students can also go abroad for a research semester. With this, the focus is personal development, the project for the bachelor's or master's thesis, and contribution to the partner university.
In Adrian's and Usama's case, the contact was established by Professor Dr. Tobias Kaupp, Head of the Center for Robotics (CERI) at THWS, who himself studied in Sydney. "I know from my own experience how formative a stay abroad can be - for your expertise, your career, but particularly for your personal development. In my case, it started with an internship in New Zealand. You just have to be confident. Your horizon will broaden automatically," says Professor Dr. Kaupp. Thus, the two students did not want to miss the chance to conduct robotics research at the Australian University of Technology Sydney (UTS). That way, they could work in detail on their project in an international environment while at the same time gaining valuable insights into research cooperation.
Reaserch focus: Collaborative robotics
The robotic arm developed by Adrian and Usama is supposed to directly interact with humans. The robot is in charge of precise, repetitive tasks while the human takes on varying tasks and processes materials like rubber, which the robotic arm cannot grip. The focus is recognition and obstacle avoidance. This technology should enable the robot to perceive its surroundings more precisely and react accordingly. "Through this, we had a topic, could deal with it together, and deepen our knowledge," says Adrian. During their stay in Australia, they published a scientific paper on the topic and presented it at a conference. Meanwhile, they have submitted the paper to a renowned journal.
The students conducted research in an open-space lab, which facilitated cooperation with the Australian team. The Australian colleagues worked on other robots in parallel, for example a robot dog, or small humanoid robots. Cooperating in an international team created an open and communicative atmosphere that significantly differed from the rather formal working style in Germany. "Working with this team was so different compared to Germany, particularly due to their increased open-mindedness," Adrian reports. In addition to their lab work, Adrian and Usama participated in various presentations and group meetings.
Challenges and personal experiences
Their semester abroad was financed through scholarships. One of them received a scholarship by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the second by the Promos programme. This funding enabled them to focus completely on their research on site. The students themselves took on organising the stay, including flights and visas, with help from the Australian university.
In addition to technical advantages, the stay in Australia came with many personal impressions. The students were able to improve their English and establish contacts. In addition to their lab colleagues, they met people while looking for a flat. "Of course it is hard to keep in contact despite the distance; but we are still regularly in contact with the Australian working group to continue our project topic here at THWS," Usama says.
They also had plenty of opportunities to get to know the country and its people: On the weekends, they took walks by the sea or hikes in national parks or visited museums. During the Christmas holidays, the students had nearly three weeks for travelling. Adrian drove along the south coast by car, Usama visited New Zealand. In addition to the outstanding flora and fauna, especially the multiculturalism impressed the two master's students. "We remember Australia as a country with European, Asian, and American influences. However, I believe that that was no culture you could not find there," Usama continues.
A longer stay abroad comes with a few challenges, too. These include the arduous search for a flat in Sydney with its high rents, or the multitude of dangerous animals and Insects in Australia. Yet in retrospect, these problems seem rather trivial. Their time in Australia has made the students more open-minded towards future stays or jobs abroad. Adrian intended to "be flexible and open-minded and to not be put off by potential dangers beforehand" - and he succeeded with this tactic.
"We have learnt so much"
All in all, the research semester was a complete success. Adrian and Usama are grateful for this opportunity and glad to have made this experience. Such projects show how important international cooperation is and how inspiring and useful research cooperations can be. "These six months were incredible and we learnt so much, technically and personally. We recommend to everyone to take such an opportunity," Adrian concludes.
Usama's advice for a longer stay abroad: "What matters is that you take it easy and do not sweat things too much. You do not need to know in advance how things will play out. Rather, you should approach situations with an open mind and a sense of curiosity and see what turns up. Even if the first month might not be optimal, you will find your rhythm."
