Makeathon:
Solutions for sensor integration in the roof by students

During the first Makeathon held by automotive supplier Webasto, students and young professionals from all over Germany spent a weekend devising solutions for autonomous driving.

Stockdorf – October 26, 2022 – Two days dedicated entirely to the future of mobility: Last weekend, some 30 students and young professionals from all over Germany participated in a Makeathon on the theme of “autonomous driving” at the Impact Hub in Munich. The participants had been invited to attend by top-100 automotive supplier Webasto. The company from Stockdorf near Munich offers its customers the so-called Roof Sensor Module which facilitates the integration of sensors for autonomous driving functions into the roof. With exciting insights, Webasto wants to make the future professions approachable.

A triumph of teamwork

The winning team was rewarded with 2,000 euros in prize money on Sunday. Leif van Holland (University of Bonn), Lukas Harrer (University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria), Marc Wagner (Technical University Ulm) and Richard Koller (University Furtwangen) developed solutions to identify certain features from extensive sensor data. The function of Webasto’s roof system for autonomous driving can be improved on the basis of this solution. “This team was not only highly successful in combining its individual team members’ strengths in a particularly favorable manner, it also proposed an especially rapid and effective solution that allows us to derive a direct benefit for the Roof Sensor Module. By combining teamwork with a great presentation, these four team members were very convincing throughout,” said Michael Hülsen, Director Product Management Roof Sensor Module at Webasto.

Outstanding achievement

Marc Wagner also received a special award as “Best Participant” from the winning team. The computer science student from Ulm impressed with his outstanding competence, teamwork, organizational skills and willingness to find solutions. “Webasto’s Makeathon gave me a fantastic opportunity to combine my own skills with those of my other team members. We were really able to learn much from each other and make great contacts,” explained Wagner.

The Makeathon: a concept that has proven itself

Webasto will also benefit beyond the weekend from the knowledge gained and the contacts made with specialists in the field of mechatronic, control engineering, robotic or machine learning. The challenges involved participants working on highly specific topics which preoccupy us in development. For instance, these include optimizing sensor availability and the automated evaluation of specific data, which are very valuable in the ongoing development of the Roof Sensor Module,” concludes Hülsen.