Uni taster programme inspires high school students
An unusual companion drew special attention during this year’s Internal link opens in the same window:Uni Taster programme at HFU − “Fred” the robot dog. While taking the dog for a walk across campus, the robotic pet proved surprisingly docile, so the participating high school students were allowed to take the controls themselves. Only when encountering a real four-legged friend did our staff member Tobias Lorenz have to briefly intervene to prevent a direct encounter between the dog and the machine.
HFU has been offering the taster programme to young people from the region for several years now, giving them the opportunity to spend a day at the university and learn about its degree programmes. At Faculty 1, the young people were able to design their own cell phone holders using a laser scanner during the Whitsun break. They also had the opportunity to talk with current students and gain authentic insights into the industrial engineering programmes during the “Eye Tracking in Marketing” workshop.
In the computer science department, an equally varied programme awaited the students − they attended regular lectures, met professors, and tried their hand at hacking and working in the Robotics Lab. There, students programmed small mobile and gripper-arm robots themselves.
Our student ambassadors and faculty members enthusiastically shared insights into their projects and everyday student life. Whether in the lab, the lecture hall, the calisthenics park − or on a walk with Fred the robot dog − the open house event demonstrates just how appealing, vibrant and hands-on studying at HFU is.