How is an invention created—and what does it take to pursue a career in technology? At the end of a very special project day at the TU Ilmenau, the students from Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium in Erfurt knew the answers.

Inspiration from mp3 co-inventor Karlheinz Brandenburg
It is rare for an invention from Germany to conquer the world. In the case of audio signal compression, this has been achieved: mp3 is now known around the world. Karlheinz Brandenburg, co-inventor of this groundbreaking tech-nology, shared the students insight into his work on audio coding and his longstanding research career at TU Ilmenau. He conducted research at the TU Ilmenau for many years and founded Brandenburg Labs in 2019, which develops technologies for immersive sound over headphones. He explained how curiosity, persistence, and interdisciplinary thinking are essential for in-novation.

Guided tours of research laboratories – technology you can touch … and hear
Following the inspiring talk by Professor Brandenburg, the students experi-enced an impressive demonstration of Deep Dive Audio, an advanced audio technology from Brandenburg Labs that reproduces virtual sound sources through headphones so realistically that they are almost indistinguishable from real sound sources. The group took guided tours through several re-search facilities at TU Ilmenau, including the listening lab, the audio and video lab, as well as the new audio lab at TU Ilmenau.

At the end of the project day, the students had the opportunity to participate in a hands-on ‘build your own theremin’ activity, assembling and playing their own sensor-based Theremin while learning the basics of electronics and sound design.

The event was organized on the initiative of the European Patent Office and its European In-ventor Network, which aims to inspire children and young people to take an interest in STEM subjects and encourage their entrepreneurial thinking through such initiatives. In 2006, Karlheinz Brandenburg was nominated for Inventor of the Year in the Lifetime Achievement category and is therefore a member of the network.