At DLR_School_Lab RWTH Aachen the diverse topics investigated by DLR as one of Germany’s largest research institutions and by RWTH Aachen as a modern technical university come together. The hands-on experiments deal with questions from the fields of Aeronautics, Space, Energy and Transport research – with the focus on robotics and artificial intelligence. At DLR_School_Lab RWTH Aachen, students delve into this fascinating world of state-of-the-art technology:
A student goes for a virtual walk on Mars. Credit: RWTH Aachen
Renewable energy supplies for the “city of the future” are managed and regulated. The flight characteristics of a quadrocopter are analysed and diverse ways to control it are discussed before it is flown using body gestures. In a driving simulator the potentials of modern driver assistance systems are tested. Two six-axis industrial robots are programmed. And participants can teach the humanoid robot NAO how to walk and dance. The experiment "A Walk on Mars" is unique: at the institute cluster’s holodeck students set off on a virtual scavenger hunt on Mars. In the process they follow the tracks of the Mars rovers and investigate the climate, geology and topography of the Red Planet.
A student experiments with a robot. Credit: RWTH Aachen.
In addition to these many diverse experiments, the students consider basic issues like the following: What is artificial intelligence and how does it get into machines? How can robots learn, and does consciousness require embodiment? Humans as the model – do we want robots to be like humans?