27 students of Eötvös József Gimnázium Budapest 5th District, the second best high school in the country, according to the HVG 2024 ranking of high schools, visited the Department of Automotive Technologies of BME today.
During the three-hour programme, the students were given interactive presentations on topics such as whether a car can be hacked, how experts use simulation software to analyse the causes of an accident, and how a self-driving vehicle can detect its environment. Visitors were given hands-on demonstrations of hydrogen fuel cell drive and laser 3D metal printing.
At the end of the visit, Dániel Drótos, grade 11 B, said the following about his impressions: „I liked that the demonstration was very hands-on, so you can really see what is happening and it is not just about dry learning. I’m studying physics and I already know that after high school I want to apply to the BME and become an engineer.”
Blanka Farkas Szigeti, Dániel’s classmate, added: “For me, it’s more the theoretical part that matters. It was very interesting for me to understand the latest, cutting-edge technologies. For example, I was able to learn about something that I’ve been interested in lately and which we hear so often, even in the news, about how self-driving cars are being developed and how they work. I want to study biology, but I am very interested in research and it was a great experience to see research labs.”
Erzsébet Prokopp, the teacher accompanying the group, summarized her experience by saying, “As a teacher, my impression is that it was absolutely thought-provoking and helps to determine the direction and where students should imagine themselves, both in terms of learning and later in terms of work. It was very practical and also very interesting, so I am very glad we could come. For example, the students really liked the crash simulation, which was very impressive, but also the hydrogen engine or the 3D laser printer were very interesting. Exciting little highlights, thank you very much!”
Zsolt Szalay Phd, Head of the Department, commented on the visit of Eötvös High School: „It is always a great pleasure for us when secondary school students come to visit us, as it is a special opportunity to inspire the next generation or broaden their horizons. „
The programme was carried out with the participation of several faculty members and staff members of the Department, Dr. Krisztián Bán, Tamás Kazár, Gábor Vida, Mátyás Szalai, Károly Fodor, Márton Cserni and László Ferenc Varga.
The research related to the developments presented in the context of self-driving vehicles was supported by the European Union in the framework of the National Laboratory for Autonomous Systems (RRF-2.3.1-21-2022-00002).