Oceanit

Mentor: Ian Kitajima

STEM Fields: Engineering, Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Artificial Intelligence Coastal Sustainability

Internship Research Goal: Develop and/or test technology for clients using cutting-edge technology, solutions and services to their clients across a wide range of industries.

Website: https://www.oceanit.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oceanit
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Oceanit
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/oceanit
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oceanit
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oceanit

Graphic gray wave. Oceanit Innovation Through Engineering & scientific excellence.About Oceanit

Oceanit is a science, technology and engineering company that uses collaboration, innovation and creative thinking to deliver cutting-edge technology, solutions and services to their clients across a wide range of industries. Both scientists and engineers from different fields work together to create breakthrough technology and products in areas such as nanotechnology, sensors, medicine, artificial intelligence and coastal sustainability.

Meet Our Internship Mentor: Ian Kitajima

Mr. Ian Kitajima is the “Technology Sherpa” for Oceanit – a “Mind to Market” lab of 160 scientists, engineers, technologists, designers, and dreamers conducting advanced research for government and private clients. He is the co-founder of the 2010 Design Thinking movement, Altino CS to expose teachers to CS started in 2017, and Aloha AI to expose teachers to Artificial Intelligence started in 2019. As Oceanit’s Tech Sherpa, his role is to move breakthroughs from the lab to the marketplace, as well as education.

Oceanit is also committed to supporting lifelong learning in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as well as other initiatives that support our community. This includes bringing their cutting-edge technology to the classroom for students and teachers to use as a tool for learning. For example, in partnership with Kamehameha Schools, Oceanit created the Aloha A.I. Toolbox to introduce local Hawaiʻi students to artificial intelligence and how this technology can be used to recognize objects.

Internship duties and responsibilities:

Students will work with clients to develop and/or test technology. First, students will learn more about the project they are assigned to work on and why this work is important. Then, students will learn more about the particular technology that they will be working with and where this technology is headed in the future. Students will also brainstorm how this technology can be used in other settings and situations.  

Students will then develop and/or test the technology they learned about. They will collect data and use this data to answer questions or solve problems. The specific technology that students will use will depend on the available projects at the time.  

Some examples of projects that students interns have worked on in the past are:

  • Ungulate (animal with a hoof) Counting Sensors: In this project, sensors were deployed into areas that surround our water supply. Students accessed the data that the sensors collected through the internet and answered specific questions or used the data to improve this technology. For example, students trained the sensor to only detect feral pigs and not other animals.
  • Invasive Weed Detection: Project staff hiked through the forest with a 360 degree camera. Students used the images from this camera to teach a computer system to detect and geo-tag (assign a geographic location) invasive weeds in this area.

Students who select this internship should be comfortable with and able to:

  • Work in a team and communicate with others.
  • Solve problems.
  • Work outdoors on the beach and in the ocean.
  • Work in a laboratory setting.
  • Follow all safety procedures for both the outdoor and laboratory setting. Safety training will be required to participate in this internship.
  • Wear safety equipment in the ocean and in the lab.
  • Have a flexible summer schedule.

2023 Internship Schedule:

The schedule for this internship will be determined by the projects that are available during Summer 2023. Students’ projects will be determined at a later date.

  • Spring 2023: March 13 & 14, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
  • Summer 2023: June 12-16, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

*Schedules are tentative and are subject to change. Interns will be required to work 8 hours in the Spring 2023. Interns will be required to work 40 hours in the Summer 2023.