Simulate, test, apply: As part of the 'Autonomous Vehicles' course, master's students from the Information Technology programme at TH OWL visited the dSPACE company in Paderborn. The trip was organised by Prof. Dr Ulrich Büker, Deputy Director of inIT and Head of the Intelligent Systems research group. While there, the students gained practical insights into the development, simulation and validation of autonomous driving functions.
Lectures, demonstrations and career tips
dSPACE is one of the leading providers of simulation and validation solutions for the automotive industry. The students were given a presentation about the company and information about career opportunities, such as internships, theses or working student positions. Specialist presentations by Lukas Demandt (Account Manager University Germany), Fabian Engemann (Field Application Engineer) and Lea Lützenkirchen (Recruiting Specialist) also provided detailed insights into technologies such as hardware-in-the-loop testing, real-time simulations and system integration, as well as the working environment at the company.
A particular highlight of the excursion was the demonstration of a sensor-based test vehicle. Using specific products such as SCALEXIO, AUTERA, and AURELION, participants were able to understand how dSPACE contributes to the development and validation of modern autonomous systems.
Learning in a corporate context: an excursion with a lasting impact
The excursion was well received by the students. Master's student Aditya Sharma summarised his impressions as follows:
‘We gained valuable insights into concepts such as HIL testing, real-time simulation, and system integration. Thank you very much to dSPACE for their hospitality and to Prof. Dr. Ulrich Büker for this enriching experience.’
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Büker also drew a positive conclusion:
‘The excursion offered our students the opportunity to experience key content from the lecture in an industrial context and deepen their knowledge practically. Special thanks go to the speakers and organisers at dSPACE for the exciting insights and excellent on-site support.’