Day four. In a lab at THI, the participants sit at tables with laptops, cables, and the drones they’ve built themselves over the past few days in front of them. Now it’s time to integrate the hardware and software. They’re programming, testing, discarding ideas, and starting over. The individual components have long since become functioning systems.
Right in the thick of it is Jamila Gränzer. The 26-year-old is pursuing a master’s degree in Data Science at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Köthen and has come to Ingolstadt for the camp for the first time. She was particularly drawn to the topic. “I’m very interested in drones. It’s an exciting and cutting-edge field.” She’s also fascinated by intelligent agents.
Zartosht Stock, an engineering student at the Technical University of Munich, particularly appreciates the direct practical application. “We actually built a drone ourselves here. I like this hands-on approach.” The knowledge gained in lectures finds its way onto the workbench shortly thereafter.
“Drone Swarming Technologies” is the focus of this year’s Ignaz Kögler Research Summer Camp. It is led by Professor Simon Schwerd from THI. From system architectures and sensor technology to swarm algorithms, simulation environments, and human-drone interaction, the program guides participants through various facets of the technology. At the same time, the students apply what they’ve learned in their projects.
Meanwhile, the challenges grow with each passing day. After assembly and commissioning come the first algorithms for the coordination of multiple aircraft, followed by integration and field tests. The final demonstration is scheduled for Friday at the test site in Gerolfing. There, it will become clear whether the developed concepts can hold up outside the lab.
The week’s program also includes insights into Ingolstadt as a hub for science and innovation, including visits to the brigk Makerspace and CARISSMA.
This program is made possible by the Ignaz Kögler Foundation for Excellence. The foundation supports summer camps where up-and-coming talents from various disciplines work together on current research questions and develop new approaches based on their findings.
Back in the lab, the next task awaits. The flying devices are still scattered across the tables. By the end of the week, they’re supposed to take to their first flight together.
Photos: THI.
