Heavenly prospects

The skyline of Ingolstadt, virtual realities, research vehicles in the fog - Christian Kopp, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, was given an insight into various areas of the university at THI. The highlight was the personal meeting.

The sky above Ingolstadt: Dr Hans-Christoph Oelker, Bishop Christian Kopp, and THI President Professor Walter Schober on the roof of the G-Building (Photo: THI).

Immersing yourself in virtual worlds: Christian Kopp (center) in the VR lab at THI (Photo: THI).

The bishop and his former confirmand Thomas Dorsch (left), who is a research officer at CARISSMA (Photo: THI).

Inaugural visit to Ingolstadt: After stops at the town hall and the parish, the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Christian Kopp, came to Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences. After THI President Professor Walter Schober introduced the guest to the university's main research areas, Kopp could see for himself in the seminar rooms and the CARISSMA hall.

The regional bishop was whisked away into virtual worlds with VR goggles in the laboratory. The scientists aim to use this technology to simulate complex assembly or driving situations, for example. All levels from low-end to high-end VR can be experienced. Augmented virtuality adds real objects and people to virtual worlds.

THI President Schober then led the guests into the CARISSMA hall, where THI employees presented their research activities in the field of vehicle safety to the state bishop: With predictive accident detection and accident consequence mitigation, the testing and safeguarding of automated driving functions, research into human factors, networked mobility and V2X, safe electromobility, and automotive IT security, they are helping to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries in road traffic. The approaches were illustrated by a driving test at CARISSMA, in which a research vehicle swerved to avoid a dummy. The situation was made more difficult by specially generated fog.

After the fog had lifted, a very personal connection between the regional bishop and the university came to light: CARISSMA research officer Thomas Dorsch was confirmed by Christian Kopp in 1996. The photo, which shows Dorsch as a smiling confirmand and Kopp as a young pastor, was the crowning glory of an interesting exchange.

Back