„Why are good sound quality and low noise levels so important in cars?“

You can experience and try this out for yourself in our acoustics lab! There, you can hear how different sounds are created and how they can be changed, and learn why acoustics play such an important role in mobility, while also gaining insights into the work of an engineer.
You can also try your hand at some practical tasks as an electronics technician.

Don't worry: we will be there for you the whole time, explaining everything at your pace and answering your questions.
We look forward to seeing you and are excited about your visit!

You can find more information about the event on the official Girls' Day website.

Girls' Day 2024

On Girls' Day 2024, we were once again visited by many interested girls from middle school.

We ask the question again: “What will mobility look like in the future?” During a guided tour, participants were able to experience how we conduct research at the institute, learn how to solder, and then drive a vehicle themselves on the test track under supervision. We would like to thank you for the wonderful day and are already looking forward to next year!

Girls' Day 2023

On Girls' Day 2023, we were once again visited by many interested girls from grades seven to nine.

We ask the question: “What will mobility look like in the future?” During a guided tour, participants were able to experience how we conduct research at the institute, learn how to solder, and then drive a vehicle themselves on the test track under supervision. We would like to thank you for the wonderful day and are already looking forward to next year!

Girls' Day 2022

This year, we were able again to welcome interested girls to the ika. As part of Girl's Day 2022, a total of 20 girls from grades seven to nine visited us and our cooperation partner, fka GmbH.

Under the motto "Driver's license for teenagers? - Research at the Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika)", the participants were able to show their knowledge and skills and gained an insight into everyday working life at the ika and fka.

A guided tour, lectures and a quiz filled the morning before we went to the test track after the lunch break and the girls were allowed to drive a car by themselves. After successfully passing the "practical driving test", all participants received a driving license as a souvenir.

We are very pleased that this day met with great interest among the girls and hope that we will be able to welcome many participants again next year.

and 3 more pictures

Girls' Day 2021

Unfortunately, due to Corona, Girls' Day 2021 had to be held digitally.

Girls' Day 2020

Should teenagers 12 and over be allowed to drive? - Research at the Institute for Automotive Engineering

In 2020, we again invited interested girls aged 12 to 16 to Girls' Day at the ika. Together with them, we conducted a study in which they could prove that young people can also drive. Afterwards, we evaluated the results together and answered the research questions. In addition to the study, the girls also got an insight into our daily work at the Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika) and were able to try out practical car-related activities themselves. We thought it was great and are looking forward to next year!

Girls' Day 2019

"What's research?- "Should teenagers 12 and over be allowed to drive?"

Once again this year, young people were spoilt for choice and were able to get a taste of various professions or scientific fields at 32 institutes, chairs and workshops of the RWTH Aachen University in a total of 36 workshops (31 for girls and 5 for boys). The workshops offered accommodation for 358 girls and 52 boys from grades 5 to 10 of all school types.

At our ika, 12 girls were able to conduct their own study in order to answer the research question of the workshop "Driving licence for young people? - Research at the Institute for Motor Vehicles", to try out practical car-related activities and to gain an insight into the daily work at the ika. A driver's license was given to everyone as souvenir. Further information about the event can be found on the website.

Fotos vom 28.03.2019

Girls' Day 2018

ika at Girls’ Day in Aachen

"What is research?" As you can find answers to exciting research questions, this year at Girls' Day we tried it out together with 15 technical enthusiastic young girls aged 12 to 14 years. To this end, we have undertaken the topic "Should young people over 12 years of age be allowed to take their driving licence?" and carried out a small study in which the girls initially acted as test persons. Together, we looked at individual elements of the driving licence test and tested them ourselves. So the girls were able to drive their own car on the ika test track. Finally, the collected findings were evaluated and the results discussed with the girls in order to gain first insights into scientific work.

Whitsun excursion 2025 • 10. – 12.06.2025

In 2025, our Whitsun excursion took us to Affalterbach and Munich. First, Mercedes-AMG opened their doors to us in Affalterbach. We had the opportunity to take a guided tour and then ask any questions we had in a Q&A session. In Munich, we were also given a guided tour of Lucid Motors' technologies, and were able to exchange ideas and learn a lot in a Q&A session.

We would like to thank all the students who made this year's Whitsun excursion such a success, and of course Lucid Motors and Mercedes-AMG in particular, for giving us the opportunity to gain insight into their work.

We are already looking forward to the next excursion!

Whitsun excursion 2024 - Canceled

Unfortunately, due to various last-minute events, we will not be able to offer our traditional Whitsun excursion to companies and research institutions in the automotive sector this year as planned. However, we are all the more looking forward to the 2025 Whitsun excursion, which will take place again as usual. We will publish all information and registration details here and on our social media channels as soon as the program has been finalized.

Whitsun excursion 202330.05. – 02.06.2022

This year, students will have the opportunity to visit the companies Porsche, BMW, Tesla, Claas and Rheinmetall as part of the Whitsun excursion.

Day 1

Porsche Leipzig

Day 2

BMW Motorrad Berlin and Tesla in Brandenburg

Day 3

Claas Landmaschinen

Mandatory registration is required for participation. The maximum number of people is limited to 30. The personal contribution will be 100 €. After registration, the departure dates will be sent separately by email to those who have registered.

Excursion to the IAA Transportation 202222.09.2022

This year, students will have the opportunity to visit the IAA Transportation in Hanover as part of an excursion.

The IAA is the leading international trade show for climate-neutral mobility, transport and logistics. Under the motto "People and Goods on the move" and with a new concept, the trade show for the first time networks the relevant players from the commercial vehicles, buses and logistics sectors with leading tech providers and suppliers among themselves.

In the various exhibition zones, students can gain insight into the carbon-neutral and technological transformation of all transportation.
The ika will also be represented at the fair with a stand or vehicle as part of the UNICARagil project.

The excursion takes place in cooperation with bonding e.V. and is supported by the "Freundeskreis des Lehrstuhls für Kraftfahrwesen e.V.".

Whitsun excursion 2022 07. + 08.06.2022

This year, the ika student excursion leads to Essen and Wipperfürth.

Visit of the following companies:

07. June:
Evonik in Marl near Essen, Germany, (10:00 a.m. - approx. 4:00 p.m.)

08. June:
VOSS in Wipperfürth, (10:00 a.m. - approx. 4:00 p.m.)

Personal contribution: 8 €
Max. Number of participants: 20

You will receive the departure dates by email after registration.

Whitsun excursion 2019

The 2019 student excursion took us to Belgium and the Netherlands. On the first day, we gained an exciting insight into the areas of production and testing at the transmission manufacturer Punch Powertrain in Sint-Truiden. We were able to visit the production line of parts of the CVT transmission and get to know the new test bench areas during a guided tour. The body production VDL Nedcar in Born presented us, among other things, the entire car assembly process from the iron roll to the finished vehicle for the BMW X1.

After a night in Eindhoven, we went on a very interesting tour of the truck OEM DAF Trucks on the second day, which gave us great insights into the production and final assembly of larger vehicles. This allowed us to experience how finished commercial vehicles of different performance and weight classes roll off the assembly line.

We would like to thank all students as well as Punch Powertrain, VDL Nedcar and DAF Trucks for two great days and are already looking forward to the next student excursion.

Impressions

and 6 more pictures

End-of-Semester BarbecueSummer term

Since 2017, we have been inviting students to join us for a cozy barbecue evening. With summer temperatures and a snack, we would like to present the institute and our staff, exchange ideas with you and simply discuss ideas for teaching and research in a friendly atmosphere.

07/10/2025 4 pm

The next end-of-semester barbecue will be held on Thursday, July 10, 2025.

07/11/2024 4 pm

Once again, we cordially invite you to end the semester with us in a relaxed atmosphere!This year's end-of-semester barbecue will take place on 11 July and promises to be an evening full of enjoyment, exciting insights and interesting conversations.

After last year's successful response, we are looking forward to repeating the end-of-semester barbecue in 2024. Join us, immerse yourself in the world of our research and let's spend an unforgettable summer evening together!

06/29/2023 4 pm

Also this year we offer students our end-of-semester barbecue. It is planned to offer a guided tour of the institute in the afternoon. Afterwards we will have delicious food from the grill and some cool drinks to end the day. Registrations are possible from May on. We are looking forward to many good conversations and interesting suggestions.

Professor Eckstein and Professor Urban take the participating students on a tour of the institute, past test benches such as the highly dynamic driving simulator, the temperature control acoustic chamber, the Flat-Trac, the Hydropuls, the crash track and the SpeedE. Due to the good response, we repeat the end-of-semester barbecue every summer.

Impressions 2024

and 11 more pictures

Impressions 2023

and 5 more pictures

Impressions of past barbecue events

and 12 more pictures