During July and August, Aika Yamashita, a student from Kyushu University in Japan, completed an internship at our Institute through the IAESTE organization. During her studies, Aika was involved in projects for creating vibration transmission devices, designing instruments for numerical measurements, and conducting data analysis.
At the Robotics Laboratory, where she spent the past few months, Aika became familiar with the rich history of our Institute and the important projects in Robotics. Together with her colleagues, she worked on a small project assigned to her based on her prior knowledge and experience.
During her free time, she managed to explore Belgrade, our culture, and customs.
Read about her experience, impressions of Belgrade, and her work at the Institute in a letter we received directly from Japan.
„I participated in a 7-week internship at the Robotics Laboratory of Institute Mihailo Pupin. During this internship, I worked on a small project that was selected based on my major and previous experience. The project involved using new software and studying areas that I had not been exposed to before. Although there were challenges, I was able to make progress through research and discussions, and it turned out to be a very valuable experience. I am grateful to everyone at the laboratory for their time and advice during our discussions.During the internship, I had the opportunity to learn not only about my own research but also about the projects and history of the entire institute. For example, the history of the “Belgrade prosthetic hand,” which was developed at this institute, was very educational for me, especially since it is closely related to my field of study. In addition, I had the opportunity to visit a very large music festival called Exit and see prototypes of a solar panel guitar and a solar water heater in person. This was a valuable opportunity to know the big project of this institute. Seeing these prototypes in use greatly enhanced my understanding of the research. Additionally, sharing in the joy of seeing these innovations firsthand increased my motivation for my own research.
At first, I was very nervous, but the people in the laboratory were extremely kind and friendly, so I quickly felt at ease. The time we spent having lunch together every day and exploring the area, such as The National Museum, Kalemegdan, and so on, after work was very enjoyable. During my stay, I was able to experience various aspects of the local culture. For example, Serbian cuisine, known for its meat dishes, seemed to play a significant role in daily life. I had the opportunity to try Serbian food, and I found it to my liking, which made my stay very comfortable. Additionally, the food at the institute’s cafeteria was also very delicious, making lunchtime one of the highlights of my day. Furthermore, the city’s dedication to nature was impressive, with protected areas and large parks being prominent. The area around the institute was surrounded by greenery, with children playing and people and dogs relaxing, creating a very pleasant atmosphere. This environment allowed me to have a wonderful time in Belgrade.
Thanks to everyone, I had a very enjoyable and meaningful time. I hope to apply the experiences gained from this internship to my future research. I highly recommend this internship at Institute Mihailo Pupin to many people“.
