Actemium Germany and HTWK Leipzig honoured innovative theses by HTWK students for the sixth time
Applied digitalisation in industry is seen as the key to securing Germany's competitiveness in the global market. Since 2018, the industrial services provider Actemium Deutschland has therefore been awarding prizes to the best HTWK theses in the field of applied digitalisation that not only stand out for their high transfer potential, but can also make a decisive contribution to the application of digital technologies in industry and business with the knowledge gained.
On 24 October 2024, Actemium Deutschland and HTWK Leipzig awarded the sponsorship prize for the sixth time at the Pitch Day and honoured the best theses of the 2023/2024 year with prizes of up to 2,500 euros.
At Pitch Day, the ten best applicants have the chance to pitch their theses. In just a few minutes, they have to convince the jury of the innovative strength and knowledge potential of their work.
The students are professionally prepared for this Pitch Day in a workshop organised in collaboration with VINCI Energies Digitalschmiede and Startbahn 13, the start-up consultancy at HTWK Leipzig.
The winners of the 2024 Award for Applied Digitalisation
1st place: Eric Elbing - mobile FACTORy: Framework for Advanced Control and Training of Mobile Robots
In his master's thesis, Eric Elbing deals with the application of machine learning methods for the training of mobile robots. Master's student Elbing is pursuing the idea of breaking down complex tasks for a robot into simple subtasks and having these activities carried out by trained (software) agents. The ideas are based on the so-called MTM method for scheduling work processes, which also involves breaking down complex processes into basic activities.
"M. Eng. Eric Elbing has applied the principle in simulation environments to mobile robots of varying complexity up to a humanoid. His constant focus on the actual feasibility for real robots (Sim2Real) and the incredible speed with which he familiarised himself with the topic are worthy of special mention," emphasises Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Martin Gürtler, supervising professor of graduate Elbing.
2nd place: Anton Thomé - Optimisation of dynamic weighing processes for precise in-process quality control
In his Master's thesis, Anton Thomé analyses the accuracy of a dynamic weighing process, i.e. weighing an object moving on a conveyor belt. Non-reproducible tilting movements lead to considerable inaccuracies in the results. Thomé is investigating modern approaches to image processing and machine learning as a prerequisite for correcting the measured values. "Master's student Thomé proves that, as a trained mechanical engineer, he can quickly acquire expertise in this field and achieve ground-breaking results. Particularly noteworthy is his willingness to leave his own comfort zone in search of solutions and to always see a task as a challenge and an opportunity to broaden his own horizons," says Prof Gürtler, proud supervisor of two of this year's award winners.
3rd place: Lucas Döring - Building BIM models from point clouds of existing steel structures
Lucas Döring's master's thesis focussed on digital planning methods in the construction industry. Using the Building Information Modelling (BIM) method, he created a digital structural model of the Waldbahnbrücke bridge in south-west Leipzig. The basis for the creation was a point cloud resulting from several laser scans of the bridge. The aim of his work was to investigate the entire process from the creation of the point cloud to the digital model and to summarise it in a practical guideline. His work is characterised above all by its practical relevance, as he used standard software systems and some established application methods while taking new research findings into account. His supervisor was Prof. André Ihde, who holds the professorship for Digital Planning and Construction at the Faculty of Civil Engineering. Döring thus completed his master's degree in civil engineering specialising in structural engineering.
We would like to congratulate all the winners on their achievements, thank the jury for their commitment and Actemium Germany for sponsoring their theses.
Award for applied digitalisation
The Actemium Award for Applied Digitalisation will be announced again next summer. Students from all faculties at HTWK Leipzig will once again be able to apply with their final theses. The prize is endowed with up to 2,500 euros for the students and up to 2,000 euros for the supervising professors.
