Giulia Cerfeda, Internship Award Winner 2020

Q: What was your experience like during your internship at Fraunhofer FHR?

I found it very formative and interesting. I immediately felt at ease in the working environment, also thanks to the help of the supervisors who were always very helpful. I studied a topic that was new to me and deepened my knowledge of the subject.

Q: What projects did you work on during your internship?

I worked on a code for "tracking" and "detection" using a MIMO-K Radar. The main issue was to implement the Unscented Kalman Filter algorithm in python, and to adapt it to the many possibilities of configurations.

Q: What were the outcomes of your projects?

The outcomes were to detect and track the path of people moving in front of the radar, in real time and with a certain accuracy.

Q: What was your favorite part of the internship?

In-depth knowledge of the theory behind detection algorithms (in particular 3D fft) and tracking algorithms (in particular Unscented Kalman Filter) was extremely interesting for me. I also enjoyed spending time with all the colleagues a lot. Despite the hard times with Corona, it was pleasant to confront them in the open air.

Q: Did the pandemic have a significant impact on your stay at Fraunhofer FHR?

Not too much, but it had. It was difficult to find the flights to reach Bonn and to come back to Italy, and I had the possibility to work at the institute only 3 days a week. By the way it could have been worse. The organization at Fraunhofer was really flawless, they gave me the chance (and the required devices) to work from home too.

Q: How did you find the supervision at Fraunhofer FHR?

Amazing. There was always someone there to help me for any kind of problem. Moreover, in the first weeks, my team leader and my supervisor spent a lot of time with me to help me understand the project I had to work on.

Q: How will the internship affect your further career?

I think that, as my first job experience, it will affect me in terms of self-confidence and problem solving, not only on the work side. It also helped me to understand how it is to work in a research center, and how I can relate with a specific topic as Radar technologies.

Q: What are your plans after the internship?

I will complete my studies. I still have to attend one more year at my University for my master degree. As for the future, I think I will stay in the research field. I think this is my path.

Q: Is there any advice you would give to someone looking for an internship in microwaves?

Inform yourself about the topics that you really like, and apply for an Institute that can satisfy your hunger. EuMA is giving you an amazing opportunity, it is your time to make it the best for you. And don't forget to enjoy the rest of your time in your new city!