Students from the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (Campus Rapperswil) have created a Martian landscape in front of the Hallerbau on the Brugg-Windisch campus in collaboration with the FHNW. This will serve as a training ground for the FHNW Mars rover and promote “interest in space travel and technology” (information sign on the construction site, own translation). According to the website, the FHNW rover team consists of “an interdisciplinary group of students from the School of Engineering and Environment and the School of Computer Science”. The so-called “Umwäldchen” with new plantings offers a place for relaxation and encounters and makes a “positive contribution to the environment” (information sign on the construction site). According to its website, the FHNW is “active in the development of observation instruments, components and manufacturing processes for the aerospace sector”. In addition to the aforementioned universities, the FHNW School of Business is also active in this field. In 2021, SPACE THEA was developed, a voice assistant for Mars flights, which was presented at the AAAI Spring Symposia at Stanford University in 2022 and attracted the attention of NASA. In 2025, the focus will be on social robots for Mars flights with a view to ICSR 2025.
BY OLIVER BENDEL
