More than 200 program points on the campus and in the city gave people from the region exciting insights into projects from business and science. They explored the Science Mile until late into the night and familiarized themselves with the work of researchers.
Campus
Ilmenau Science Night: Thousands of visitors experience research at the TU Ilmenau up close and personal
Whether autonomously driving buses, energy-efficient microchips or social assistance robots - at the Ilmenau Science Night, the innovative research of the TU Ilmenau became tangible for thousands of people from the city center to the university campus and beyond.
The TU Ilmenau, the city of Ilmenau and the Ilm district came together as partners of the Science Night to exploit synergies between business and technology and to recruit skilled workers. Companies from the region presented innovative technologies such as quantum sensors, tiny camera chips or high-precision measuring systems.
Professor Kai-Uwe Sattler, President of TU Ilmenau, wants the Ilmenau Science Night not only to get children and young people excited about science and technology, but also to familiarize the general public with his university's research.
As a university, we want to strengthen society's trust in science. The Ilmenau Science Night is a great opportunity for us to show what we are working on and which future-oriented applications are made possible by our basic research.
3D sound, machines and driving simulator
Thousands of visitors were impressed by the work of the scientists. Christoph Rimmrott works for a mechanical engineering company in the Ilm district. He was impressed not only by the machines in the Newton Building, but especially by the new university computer center. In modern laboratories, he experienced spatial sound in 3D or familiarized himself with a virtual avatar using VR glasses:
We are glad to have the TU Ilmenau in our region! We always like to come to events where the university opens its doors and take a look at the latest technological developments.
As car fans, the couple Uta and Knuth Vollrath did not miss the exciting tours and lectures at ThIMo. They not only toured the virtual road VISTA, but also had a lot of fun getting a close-up look at the CAMIL bus as well as a fire truck in the parking lot in front of the building:
It is amazing what is being done here at TU Ilmenau! We are very close to the research today and take the opportunity to ask questions. The enthusiasm of the scientists and how they communicate their topics has impressed us very much
Bridge between research and society
Children in particular enjoyed trying their hand at racing on the ThIMo's driving simulator. The simulator can be used not only for games, but also for research into teleoperated driving. Tim Hammer, a student of Automotive Engineering, was in charge of the booth. He sees the Ilmenau Science Night as a bridge between research and society:
I think events like the Ilmenau Science Night take away people's fears of complex technology and encourage them to participate in our research. Especially the acceptance of technologies like autonomous driving is a special challenge. By talking to researchers in person, individual questions can be clarified, which contributes to a growing understanding. This helps to strengthen trust in technologies.
Impressions of the Ilmenau Science Night 2023
