Omar took extra courses to apply for a master's programme

Omar Abrahamsson is doing his degree project on the master's programme in robotics and control engineering at the Umeå-based company Algoryx.

Image: Jonas Lidström

"I needed two extra math courses and two other courses as well. So in the spring of my second year and the fall of my third year, I studied at a 150 percent study pace to get in, so it was tough" he says. 

When talking to Omar Abrahamsson, you quickly realize that he can be described in two words: stubborn and determined. He will soon graduate from the master's programme in robotics and control, but the road to get there has been long and arduous. 

Omar is from Iraq and came to Sweden in 2016 as a refugee. Back in 2011, he tried to get a residence permit in Sweden, but was then sent back and imprisoned in his home country. A few years later, he managed to escape to Turkey, but it was not possible to get a work permit there. He finally left Turkey and after a long journey through Greece, Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Germany and Denmark, he returned to Sweden and was then able to get a residence permit.

Language is the key

"Unfortunately, it was limited, those who arrived after 2016 rarely get a permanent residence permit. It has to be renewed every three years until you get a permanent job, so that means I have to make sure I get that." 

Language is a key to being integrated into a new society, Omar realized immediately, and he therefore worked hard to pass the courses at SFI (Swedish for immigrants) and then continued to enroll in high school at Komvux.

"I was ambitious, because I really wanted to do something in Sweden. Before that, there had been six years when my life lacked meaning and purpose, I had been in prison, been unemployed and on the run, so I wanted to be like other people."

Digital development in society

After Komvux, he wanted to study further at university, but with what?

"That's a story in itself. I didn't know what I wanted, but one day I was at the bank and my clerk there was a guy from Syria. I thought his job seemed interesting and asked what he had studied. He had studied economics and finance, but recommended that I study computer science instead, as society was becoming increasingly digital. He saw his job at the bank as disappearing within ten years."

Omar chose the Bachelor of Science programme in Electronics and Computer engineering at Umeå University because it also has a focus on medical technology. 

"It wasn’t available at other universities, and it seemed interesting to become an engineer in a hospital. My little sister is a doctor, so I told her “maybe we’ll work together at the hospital, I’ll fix all the equipment and technical problems”. 

His Swedish-sounding surname is also a story in itself. Swedish authorities happened to interpret his surnames as first names, so suddenly he was left without one. It couldn’t be corrected in the systems, he had to formally apply for a new surname! 

"My father’s name is Ibrahim, so I transformed that into a traditional Swedish "son-name"."

Long days at university

What was it like to start studying in Umeå?
"My language skills were still not good enough, and I was the only one with a foreign background in my class. My classmates bet that I wouldn’t last long, I had a really hard time keeping up. When the teacher explained things during the lectures, I didn’t understand anything at all. I often ran after the other students afterwards with pen and paper in hand and asked them to briefly explain what the lesson was about or what we were going to do the next day."

But, while several other classmates dropped out during the first semester, Omar stayed on. He struggled to get through the courses, was at the university every morning before eight, and often stayed until midnight. Bit by bit, his studies went better, and he passed his exams.

What did you think of the subject itself, electronics and computer technology?
"At the end of the first semester, we started taking real courses in the field of electronics and it opened my eyes in a new way. I was curious before, like when a TV or laptop breaks and you look inside and wonder how everything works, so when we had courses on electronic components and signal analysis, it started to get really interesting, and that gave me extra motivation and pushed me further."

Did you specialize in medical technology as you had originally planned?
"No, I found the courses on embedded systems, sensors, processors and programming more interesting. It also felt like a broader area with more job opportunities than working in hospitals or medical technology companies."

“There are always different solutions to a problem”

Something Omar really liked about his education is the mix between lectures, lessons and practical tasks in the lab.

"It requires you to be creative, there are always different solutions to a problem. It’s fun when it’s so open and you have to think. When you have lab sessions, what you’ve learned also sticks differently than if you just read it in a book."

He knew early on that he wanted to continue his studies after the Bachelor's programme. However, the transition between a Bachelor of Engineering programme and a Master's programme is rarely seamless. Not all courses required for admission to a Master's programme are automatically included in the three-year programme. Fortunately, Omar found out what was needed in good time. This meant that he could start taking the extra courses already in his second year of undergraduate education. 

Integrating humanoid robots into simulation

He will soon finish his Master's and is doing his degree project at the company Algoryx in Umeå. In the beginning, Algoryx developed technology to teach people how to operate complex machines and vehicles using simulators. Over time, the simulation tools have been further developed; with the company's system, for example, self-driving machines can learn to perform tasks in mines, at sea, or during cleanup work. The tools are also widely used for simulations in industry.

Omar's assignment is to integrate a humanoid robot with these simulation systems using AI and control systems, where the robot will be able to perform various tasks in the virtual environment. 

"Right now, the robot can only walk and is controlled via the keyboard to move forward, backward and sideways. The next step in the project is to test how effectively the humanoid robot moves on different types of surfaces, such as stone, rubber or soft, wet surfaces. The aim is to compare the movement ability on surfaces with different physical properties – such as adhesion, friction coefficient, restitution and viscosity – by measuring energy consumption, balance, stability and how well the robot follows my commands in varying environments."

He will have a summer job at Algoryx focusing on developing a more advanced control system. The goal is for the physical robot to be able to perform the same movements in reality as it does in the simulation environment in Algoryx Simulation.

Has applied for doctoral education

Omar hopes to get an extension to the fall. The company has ordered a real humanoid robot from China that will be delivered then, and it would be very exciting to continue the project with it, he says.

"It is also possible that Algoryx will start a collaboration with Applied physics and electronics at the university to do a research project when the real robot arrives."

"Some other universities do research in the area. Chalmers has just published a vacant PhD position that involves designing dynamic systems for a humanoid robot, so I have applied there."

At the same time, he has just been offered a permanent job at Husqvarna Robotics AB in Jönköping. It involves developing embedded systems for their professional robotic lawnmowers, which work with real-time operating systems (RTOS), sensors and motors.

Back to the Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Computer Engineering/Medical Technology. What would you say to someone who is thinking about studying the program?
"Just like the guy at the bank said, that society is becoming increasingly digital and we also have the problems with global warming and need to find solutions for a more sustainable society. I believe that electronics engineers can contribute there, regardless of whether it is about developing embedded systems, technology for sustainable energy or reduced carbon dioxide emissions."