“Towards the end of my thesis, my manager asked if I wanted to stay and I said yes.”

While studying computer engineering at the University of Gävle, Sweden, Ebba Grudén wanted to find a thesis project that would allow her to apply her technical knowledge to something she genuinely enjoyed. With a strong interest in strength training, she came up with an idea that combined fitness with artificial intelligence.

“I wanted to combine my education in computer engineering with my interest in training. My thesis focused on investigating whether AI-based Human Pose Estimation could be used to support the assessment of powerlifting exercises,” Ebba explains.

She approached Syntronic with her own project proposal and was given the opportunity to carry out the work at the company's office in Gävle.

Exploring the possibilities of AI

Ebba developed a prototype mobile application designed to analyze body movements during strength training. Using a machine learning model trained to recognize key points on the human body, such as knees, hips, shoulders and elbows, the application calculated angles between different body parts.

The aim was to investigate whether the technology could support the assessment of three common powerlifting exercises: squats, bench presses and deadlifts.

“I compared the measurements generated by the application with manually calculated reference values to evaluate how accurately the AI model could identify points on the body under different lighting conditions and camera angles.”

Before beginning development, Ebba reviewed existing research to understand how similar challenges had been approached. She then worked iteratively, refining the prototype with each new version. Since the project was based on her own idea, she had the freedom to make technical decisions and explore different approaches.

Learning beyond the classroom

Although Ebba worked independently on the technical aspects, she had access to guidance and practical support throughout her time at Syntronic.

“My supervisor was a great person to bounce ideas off. I also received help with practical things, such as being able to use Syntronic's gym to collect video material for the project.”

The experience also helped her develop important professional skills, particularly when it came to managing her own work.

“I learned a lot about planning my work, sticking to a schedule and making sure I completed everything within the given timeframe.”

From thesis student to colleague

Ebba spent all ten weeks of her thesis working on-site at Syntronic's office in Gävle. This gave her the opportunity to become familiar with the company, meet her future colleagues and experience everyday life in an engineering organization.

“I got a very good impression of Syntronic as a workplace during my thesis. Since I spent all ten weeks at the office, I had plenty of time to get to know my department. My colleagues were friendly, and I really liked the working environment.”

As her thesis approached its conclusion, an opportunity opened up.

“Towards the end of my thesis, my department manager asked if I would like to stay after the summer. I said yes.”

Building a career in software development

Today, Ebba works as a software developer at Syntronic, applying the knowledge she gained during her computer engineering studies in her daily work.

Her experience gave her the opportunity to put theory into practice, take responsibility for an independent development project and strengthen her ability to plan and deliver technical work.

For students and recent graduates considering a similar path, Ebba has a straightforward recommendation.

“I would definitely recommend applying. It's a great opportunity to get a taste of what your future working life could look like.”

Start your engineering career at Syntronic

Interested in turning your technical knowledge into practical experience? Syntronic offers opportunities for students and graduates to explore new technologies, develop their skills and take the next step in their engineering careers.

Explore our opportunities at https://syntronic.com/career-emea/