'When I saw those robots as a 13-year-old, I was sold'

Daniëlle Steenge completed her studies in Electrical and Electronic Engineering major Mechatronics in 2021. Now she wants to take the next step: the master's in Biomedical Engineering at the RUG. She is now fully engaged in her premaster. 'A tough course, but thanks to the Hanze I can rely on a solid foundation.'

Big sister
'My sister studied electrical engineering at the University of Enschede. I was still in the bridge class when she took me to an open day. And I was immediately sold. All that technology, all those robots. I knew immediately: that's what I want to do later on! That's why, after my havo, I soon had an idea which direction I wanted to take.'

Groningen
At the major Mechatronics I immediately had a good feeling and that hasn't gone away. We had a nice group and the teachers know you personally. Even though everyone is quite busy, there is always room to ask how you are doing. A plus point is that the course is in Groningen. A lot of learning, hard work, but in the afternoon you can also go to an outdoor café with friends. Lovely. Thanks to the minor I took, I have an excellent basis to take the next step' 

Energy
'I always got a lot of energy from the projects. For example, in my third year I got to do a project at Lode BV, a company that develops biomedical applications. We were researching the braking mechanism of ergometers in MRI scanners. This allows you to increase the heart rate of patients undergoing an MRI scan without medication. Being allowed to think about and work on a real-life issue really adds value.'

Working on innovations
'In the third year, I got the chance to take the minor in Biomedical Engineering. Here I discovered that I find the medical application of electrical engineering interesting. You can contribute to people's well-being thanks to technology. This is how I did my graduation project at Spark Holland BV. Using control engineering and simulations, I contributed to the development of a new high-pressure liquid pump for blood tests. This allows you to do research even faster.'

'Now I want to move on to study Biomedical Engineering at the RUG. A tough challenge, as the premaster is quite strict. You have to pass all the subjects if you want to be admitted to the master's programme. But, I have every confidence in this. Especially considering the foundation I have laid thanks to the Hanze.'