Catarina Caramalho is currently a Master’s student in Electrical and Computer Engineering and the leader of the IEEE Student Branch at Técnico, specializing in electronics, namely CAS/SSCS (Circuits and Systems / Solid-State Circuits Society). Throughout her degree, she was also a member of the Técnico Physics Student Group, has worked with SocRob@Home, and participated in three NEECHathons. In an interview with DEEC, Catarina shared a bit about her journey, from choosing her degree to the present day.

She enrolled at Técnico in the Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, motivated both by the breadth of the program and by contact with the field of robotics: “it was what sparked my interest the most,” she recalls. From her point of view, this area makes it possible to “bring art to life” through the development of robots: in addition to having practical objectives and being capable of movement, they can also be seen as the materialization of ideas, similar to sculptures.

When I was a child I really liked arts and crafts, but I also really liked science. I began to look at engineering, in general, as a bridge between these two areas.

Catarina Caramalho, leader of the IEEE SB CAS/SSCS and MEEC student

Choosing her degree was a concern from an early stage. Around her 9th grade, she began doing research. During secondary school, she took part in the initiative “Satellites, Rockets and Space Missions – A Week in Space,” promoted by Técnico Oeiras, motivated by her interest in space. This initiative aimed at the development of satellites. “It was the first time I had contact with more ‘serious’ programming and with 3D modeling,” she notes.

This interest in space even led her to consider pursuing Physics Engineering or Aerospace Engineering. For this reason, in the first year of her bachelor’s degree, despite being a student of Electrical and Computer Engineering, she ended up joining the Physics Student Group in order to also cultivate her interest in that area. It was through participating in events organized by this group, namely in the context of organizing a visit to the Institute for Systems and Robotics, that she got to know the SocRob@Home team, which she immediately decided to join, together with a colleague.

This was in our second year. We didn’t have much experience; we practically had no knowledge, but we thought, “let’s give it a try.”

Catarina Caramalho, leader of the IEEE SB CAS/SSCS and MEEC student

At SocRob@Home, she initially became responsible for classifying datasets from the robot “Bob,” matching concepts with objects or actions: “to train robots, they need to know what things are, such as what an apple is,” she explains. In 2024, in the Netherlands, she took part in RoboCup, an annual competition with the participation of several teams worldwide, where robots are tasked with domestic chores, such as clearing dishes from a table and placing them in the dishwasher.

She emphasizes that this competition allowed her to experience the responsibility of teamwork under pressure: “15 minutes before the competition, the robots have to be lined up to enter, and there are still people fixing errors, if necessary, until the very last second.”

I loved the RoboCup experience, but it’s a very intense environment.

Catarina Caramalho, leader of the IEEE SB CAS/SSCS and MEEC student

However, the arena is also a space for sharing, enabling the exchange of ideas with other teams, especially Portuguese ones: “When there are problems, other participants usually cooperate and offer ideas; it’s not an obstacle at all,” she says.

On the other hand, integration into the team also made it possible for her to develop her first Integrated Course Project (PIC1), which aimed to contribute to the processing of three-dimensional data from Bob, who previously only collected two-dimensional data.

Due to her strong contact with this field, Catarina Caramalho decided to continue her studies through a Master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, opting for a specialization in control systems and robotics.

When I entered the bachelor’s degree, I was very focused on robotics. Then, throughout the course, I started to develop a strong interest in electronics. When choosing my master’s specialization, I was very indecisive.

Catarina Caramalho, leader of the IEEE SB CAS/SSCS and MEEC student

Additionally, in order to “keep her interest in electronics alive,” she also joined the IEEE Student Branch at Técnico. She is currently responsible for organizing activities, with the aim of sparking other students’ interest in the area through workshops, aimed both at the Técnico community and at secondary school students. The group also organizes the PhD & MSc Talks, where doctoral and master’s students and alumni are challenged to present their theses.

Beyond contact with electronics, she highlights that participation in the group is also an opportunity for the development of soft skills. She underlines the importance of improving communication as much as possible, in order to “explain things well the first time,” avoiding gaps in the process. On the other hand, she also emphasizes the development of management skills: “I had never led a group before; it’s a completely new experience. It involves much more organization and responsibility. (…) It forces me to manage my time much better,” she notes.

I feel that, from when I entered Técnico until now, both in terms of hard skills and soft skills, I am a completely different person. I look at people who are ‘above’ me and think, “okay, if they can do it, I will also be able to, even if it takes more time.”

Catarina Caramalho, leader of the IEEE SB CAS/SSCS and MEEC student

Still regarding projects, the student was also responsible for the winning system of the most recent NEECHathon, a technology marathon that challenges participants to develop projects with practical applicability in less than 48 hours. The system, developed as a team, aimed to show, both through a mobile application and through LED lights arranged along the platform, the occupancy rate of metro carriages, based on data such as the weight of the carriages, collected at the previous station.

In concluding the interview, when asked what she would say to her younger self, Catarina Caramalho highlights that she would give advice that may seem contradictory to those who know her: “I would tell myself to slow down (…). I had everything very clearly planned, with certainty about what I wanted to do, the years I would enter and leave university… And when things started not going the way I wanted, I became demotivated. There was no need for that; I was very young,” she says. Thus, looking back on her journey, she reinforces the importance of students facing obstacles and not giving up.

There will always be obstacles along the way (…) It’s important not to lose motivation when they appear.

Catarina Caramalho, leader of the IEEE SB CAS/SSCS and MEEC student