Three first-year engineering students from American universities spent their summer tackling industrial automation challenges at the Institute of Assembly Technology and Robotics (match) at Leibniz University Hannover (LUH).
Wyatt Schnase from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, along with Rui Meng and Alaqmar Bohori from Purdue University, participated in the Summer Engineering Research Program (SERP) from May to August 2024, transforming theoretical concepts into practical solutions.
Revolutionizing part orientation with air
Wyatt Schnase addressed a costly manufacturing challenge: orienting small parts without complex mechanical systems. Traditional vibratory conveyors account for 20 to 50 percent of production costs, making flexible alternatives crucial.
“This internship has made me realize the number of different technologies that are utilized in manufacturing technology research and the advanced methods that are being explored to make manufacturing more efficient and affordable,” Wyatt Schnase reflected. His air-based reorientation system combined aerodynamic principles with industrial valve control technology to create sequences that could rotate workpieces with precision.
The journey included unexpected challenges. Wyatt Schnase encountered the Anströmparadoxon phenomenon, where workpieces paradoxically got sucked into nozzles with outward airflow. Through systematic testing, he developed a program calculating optimal pathways for multiple 90-degree rotations.
“Even as an intern, and even as someone who only had three short months for this experience, my input and time is valuable in creating meaningful work,” Wyatt Schnase noted. “What I’ll remember about this work experience the most is to not underestimate what I can accomplish if I’m in the right environment.”
Making AI accessible for industry
Rui Meng and Alaqmar Bohori collaborated on making artificial intelligence practical for industrial applications through 6D pose estimation – technology allowing robots to understand object positions and orientations in three-dimensional space.
Rui Meng developed backend infrastructure to make AI methods usable in real-world settings. “It’s one thing to read about 6D pose estimation or see a model running in a demo, it’s a totally different thing to make that model handle raw data, run remotely on a cluster, and return results in a structured, usable format,” he reflected.
Alaqmar Bohori created the user interface, making these complex calculations accessible without deep programming knowledge. “My aha moment was a foreseeable one. I had my moment when the 3D overlay worked perfectly after applying the right transformation,” he recalled.
Beyond their research, Rui Meng and Alaqmar Bohori participated in the Robot-Based Assembly Technology course, programming real ABB and Kuka industrial robots and integrating sensors using Siemens programmable logic controllers. “After working with the robotics setup for RoMo, I would love to explore internships in which I can work at a facility where automation systems are being installed,” Alaqmar Bohori shared.
Cultural discoveries and personal growth
The students found German work culture refreshingly different. “Work hours were focused and productive, but once the day was over, it was over. No late-night messages, no expectation to stay longer just to show commitment,” Rui Meng observed.
Cultural surprises ranged from practical to unexpected connections. “All supermarkets being closed on Sundays and in the evenings was perhaps the most interesting thing I found out about Germany,” noted Alaqmar Bohori. “My biggest aha moment was how much American media was consumed in Germany,” Wyatt Schnase shared. “Seeing German news cover the death of Hulk Hogan was a genuine shock to me.”
Personal growth extended beyond working hours. Alaqmar Bohori learned to cook for the first time and proudly “managed to survive all 11 weeks without taking a taxi.” Wyatt Schnase enjoyed socializing at festivals with people from various cultural backgrounds: “It was fun to go to festivals, bars, and social events with these people as they were very friendly and sociable.”
Lasting impact on future careers
The internship profoundly influenced their career perspectives. Rui Meng’s focus shifted from pure machine learning to infrastructure: “The experience made me realize how much value lies in building robust systems around models: APIs, interfaces, deployment pipelines. It’s the ‘invisible’ part of AI that actually makes it useful.”
“I really loved the people I met during the program,” Alaqmar Bohori reflected. “Everyone at match, at the international office and other SERP students were amazing to interact with, and I created some of my fondest memories during these 11 weeks.”
Advice for future participants
“Be noticed,” Wyatt Schnase advises future interns. “Every intern should make the effort to be a part of the team through the work they bring in and the socialization they have with the rest of the organization.”
Rui Meng emphasized professionalism: “Treat the project like a real system, not a short-term assignment. That mindset helped me make better design decisions early on.”
All three enthusiastically recommend the program. “For me personally, this experience fulfilled many goals that I had for this summer: living in a different country, working on a project that is interesting to me and relates to my studies, and the ability to travel,” Wyatt Schnase explained.
When asked to sum up their experiences in three words, Alaqmar Bohori chose “Meaningful, Insightful, Explorative,” Rui Meng selected “Unexpected, focused, grounding,” and Wyatt Schnase described his time as “Welcoming, influential, and fun.”
The success of these three first-year students demonstrates how international research programs can accelerate both technological innovation and personal development.
