My journey to the Logistics Innovation + Robotics team!
My decision to apply for the BMW internship was somewhat spontaneous. I had already been living in Europe for several years prior and pivoted away from returning home to Australia to extend my stay another 6 months. Having spent that time in this part of Europe, I suppose a lot of the bewilderment of living and working overseas had long since worn off. Regardless, the opportunity to say that I interned at BMW was a very exciting prospect.
Since I started my degree, I had targeted the internship program at BMW, and by far the most difficult part of the process came after being accepted. The timeline given to sort everything out is relatively short given the tooth-pulling bureaucratic hoops that need to be jumped through for BMW, QUT, and Germany. Despite the frustration, the goal for me was to get BMW on the resume, and I was assured by many people that it would be worth it.
It took almost a month to be sat down at a computer and really begin working. The project that Noah and I were given was to create a video showcasing the various logistics technologies that BMW hopes to implement in the next 10 years. Although this was not a project that initially interested me, we’ve gained quite a broad understanding of the cutting-edge logistical systems and emerging technologies used at BMW. It’s also been both a blessing and a curse to become intimately familiar with the temperamental Nvidia Omniverse. This change of heart took a while for me, but as I found opportunities to integrate the skills that I wanted to work on, my outlook dramatically improved.
Life working at BMW is certainly an interesting experience. From just the walk into work and watching the fresh cars being driven directly off the production line, and then dodging them as they’re brought to their limits as soon as they hit the road. I’ve had the pleasure of working in an office that becomes alive with both robots wondering around and a ceiling falling apart above my head. But by far, the biggest highlight of working in the department is the daily dose(s) of kicker (foosball). The competitiveness of all the interns comes out after lunch, and then maybe again in the afternoon. Everyone who comes through the revolving door of interns begins as a novice, but miraculously turns into a semi-professional after just a few months of kicker for 30 minutes or more every day.
Munich is not far off being one of the best-located cities in Europe for travel. Munich is very conveniently located next to Austria, which is almost exclusively where all the best nearby destinations are. Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Hallstatt are all must-see places. When struck with some ambition to travel a bit further, Prague, Budapest, and Krakow are three of the most incredible cities in Europe.
All in all, there are lots of headaches, but it is certainly a positive and memorable experience. For me, I have been able to live in a new city in a part of the world which I love, stay close to friends and make plenty of new ones, drink one or two beers, and play some kicker.
Ryan Chappell
BMW Logistics Innovation + Robotics Design Intern 2024