Gabrielle Kosiba is 21 years old and comes from Farmington Hills, Michigan, a city of 80,000 people. She is studying Computer Science, Global Studies and German at Hope College. Already in the 10th grade she lived in Germany for an exchange year and now she has been an intern at the Institute Industrial IT (inIT) of the OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Lemgo since September 1. Specifically, she is working on the project "enable IT: Technology-supported inclusion through human-centered system analysis and assistance in industry". We asked her what her tasks are and how she likes living in Lemgo:
How did the connection with inIT get started?
In December 2020, my German professor told me about the possibility of doing a research internship through a program of the DAAD, which is the German Academic Exchange Service. The program is called Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE). I was immediately enthusiastic about the idea and applied to two calls in the database. I was particularly interested in the one from inIT, because it was supposed to be about human-technology interaction. Then, fortunately, I was accepted. Actually, it was supposed to be a summer internship during my studies, but due to the Corona situation it was only able to start now. Now I'm here in Lemgo until the middle of December.
What are your specific tasks at the institute?
In the project enableIT we want to develop digital assistance systems to support assembly work, which adapts to the individual needs and abilities as well as the learning progress of the employees. Currently, I am helping to develop a structure for the tutorials and to build 3D models for each step that the assembly assistance system specifies. The instructions are to be designed flexibly so that there is a suitable one for every level.
In addition, we are now starting a study in which I will observe the users of the assistance systems in the workshop and then interview them. In the laboratory part of the study, we will even measure the users' eye and body movements. With the study, we will then hopefully collect some starting points where we might and have to further develop our system. It's cool how much I get to participate and assist as well. The entire research group involved in the project supports me and I am very grateful for that.
What are your goals during your time here?
I want to see as much as possible of the research and university culture, learn new methods, and gain professional experience in a foreign country. I also want to develop friendships and connections in these circles.
How do you like it here in Lemgo?
I like it very much! Especially because it's so bike-friendly here. I'm actually everywhere in four minutes. In addition, you can experience history at every turn in Lemgo. I've already taken a guided tour of the city, been to Schloss Brake several times, and tried out different hiking routes with my roommate. I also think it's nice to get to know parts of Germany that not everyone knows right away.