Sophie, a 4th year Knowledge Integration student, interned at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DKFI) in Oldenburg, Germany, this past summer.
Supported by the RISE internship scholarship program through the German Academic Exchange Service, Sophie spent three months in Oldenburg working on the PlasticObs+ project within the Department of Marine Perception. This project is working to develop an airborne litter detection system to monitor plastic waste across large, continuous marine environments. Sophie’s contributions included research, design, data collection, and programming, providing her with valuable insights into explainable artificial intelligence and image classification technology.
Beyond her work on PlasticObs+, Sophie enjoyed the experience of living independently in Germany, embracing the freedom to explore a new place and connect with others. Overall, she found it an incredible opportunity to engage in international research while immersing herself in a new culture.
Reflecting on her experience, Sophie shares, “My summer pushed me to grow not only as a professional but also as an individual as I experienced living alone for the first time in a new country.â€
Read about other KI students' diverse summer experiences.