Sophie van de Kerkhof
As Human Machine Interaction Engineer, Sophie aims to make the exoskeleton feel as an extension of the pilot’s body. She focuses on brain activation and EEG (ElectroEncephaloGram) software development to recognise brain activity patterns. This allows pilots to walk in the exoskeleton simply by thinking about a movement. This creates as much of a seamless connection between the pilot and the machine as possible when standing up, walking and sitting down.
With a background in Clinical Technology, Sophie has learned to solve medical-technological issues by taking both perspectives into account. This background enables her to improve the exoskeleton’s technical performance, while keeping the wishes and physical capabilities of the pilot a priority. She is eager to learn more about applying engineering principles in the real world and is excited to work together in a team in order to help people with medical difficulties.
This year, Sophie wants to learn more about software systems and how physical measurements can be translated to usable data. She is excited to learn more about different biosignal-measuring methods and how to develop high-level software. By the end of the year, she hopes to have a clearer idea of what career path she wants to pursue in order to help people in need.