Engineering student builds drone during Spain internship

Sof Berlanga spent part of her summer in Spain building a drone from scratch and jumped to lead technical role thanks to her Central Michigan University education.

Berlanga, an electrical engineering and computer engineering student, interned in Valencia, Spain, for two months. Her first day at MarineRob introduced her to hands-on experiences with electrical mechanisms.

She found the internship through the WorldStrides and Study Abroad office. Berlanga’s study abroad advisor helped her grasp an idea of what she might be doing.

Toward the last two weeks of her internship, Berlanga was challenged to build a drone from scratch. She was initially overwhelmed, but the team of interns worked together to figure out the correct parts to order.

Berlanga’s education gave her a critical role in the project’s success.

“My job as an electrical engineer was to ensure everything was compatible before we ordered anything,” Berlanga said.

She ensured the batteries could support the required voltage and motor functions. Berlanga also needed to order certain equipment that regulates motor speed and direction. There were multiple parts required to make a proper drone.

“There are a lot of moving parts in a drone, so I fact-checked my colleagues because I was the only electrical engineer,” Berlanga said. “After we ordered the parts, we were able to get the motors running off a power supply instead of a battery because we were waiting for the battery to come in still, and that was really cool.”

Berlanga programmed a system with cardboard flaps while waiting for the parts to arrive. This allowed her to test the software without all the required components for flight.

“I had two joysticks and developed an algorithm that would move the flaps in a way that would make the plane move accordingly,” Berlanga said. “It’s a lot harder than you think because you have to take into account where each flap is at each time.”

The drone wasn’t her only opportunity for hands-on learning.

Her first project was to create a water collection system. Berlanga received a model to recreate in the 3D modeling software. She focused on wiring and servo integration.

“We worked on that project for the majority of the internship,” Berlanga said.

While in Spain, Berlanga learned Latin dances. Every Wednesday, the Valencia Language Exchange holds open dance lessons near the coast. Meeting people there opened the door to local dance events where she drew from her previous lessons.

“At the Fuego de San Juan, there are bonfires on the beach to celebrate the summer solstice,” Berlanga said. Jumping over the fire is a symbolic way to let go of the past.

Once arriving home, she held an art exhibition to sell her paintings that she had created in Spain. Berlanga is passionate about art.

Her internship allowed her to have experience under her belt. It heavily impacted her applications, and interdependence. Her skills were strengthened because she wasn’t given much guidance in her work.

Studying abroad also helped Berlanga grow personally. She learned that it’s okay to say no and not go out too.

She emphasized that it's important not to "feel pressured to say yes to everything. Give yourself time and go rest to prevent a mental health crisis,” Berlanga said.