IFRoS Master’s student Fatima Yousif (promotion 2023-2025) had the incredible opportunity to represent the program as a Diversity Scholar at ROSCon 2024 in Denmark. From attending workshops to networking with robotics professionals, Fatima shares her enriching experience and the knowledge she’s bringing back to IFRoS.
“I am Fatima Yousif, currently a Master’s student in the EMJM Intelligent Field Robotic Systems (IFROS) program. I am incredibly grateful to the IFROS program for introducing me to the world of robotics, especially as someone coming from a software engineering background. Professionally, IFROS has been a gateway to a wealth of opportunities and resources. It granted me access to the latest technological advancements, hands-on labs with industrial robots, and exclusive seminars, all of which played a critical role in shaping my career. Thanks to this foundation, I had the incredible opportunity to represent IFROS as a Diversity Scholar at ROSCon 2024, organized by Open Robotics in Denmark.
ROSCon 2024 marked not only my first time attending ROSCon but also my first-ever robotics conference. Over the course of three inspiring days, I witnessed an excellent lineup of speakers, exhibits by leading robotics companies, and the affinity of a global robotics community united by ROS. As the only Master’s student among the Diversity Scholars, I had the unique privilege of introducing the IFROS program while networking with peers and professionals from across the world.
The conference was hosted in Odense Kommune, a beautiful and historic city in Denmark that also stands at the forefront of robotics innovation. The city’s strong ties to robotics were apparent everywhere I went. I saw robots integrated into the daily life of the city, witnessed physical games enhanced by robotic assistance, and admired eye-catching robotics-themed poster campaigns – one of which first caught my attention at a train station. Home to major robotics companies, Odense is truly a hub for the robotics industry, and I’m certain it holds even more than what I had the chance to explore.
At ROSCon, I had the privilege of attending two workshops that expanded my knowledge and practical skills. The first, “Open Source, Open Hardware Hand-Held Mobile Mapping System for Large-Scale Surveys,” provided valuable insights into processes like LIDAR odometry and multi-session refinement for large-scale mapping. The second workshop, “ros2_control,” introduced concepts like controller chaining, fallback controllers, and asynchronous controllers. Both workshops offered extensive hands-on learning opportunities. I also attended an aerial robotics meetup, where I connected with experts working on autonomous flight systems – an area that I am currently pursuing at University of Zagreb in Croatia as IFROS’s consortium.
I am thrilled to bring back the invaluable experiences, knowledge, and connections I gained at ROSCon 2024 to the IFROS program.
I also have covered the ROSCon 2024 experience and will be publishing on YouTube.”