Mechanisms of failure and state analysis of electrical connectors in automobiles

Various degradation mechanisms can diminish the performance of electrical connectors in automobiles over time. It is crucial to gain an in-depth understanding of the failure mechanisms and their interactions, as well as to systematically analyze the failure mechanisms of connectors, assess their state of health, and predict the probability of failure in the future. This work provides a comprehensive overview of degradation mechanisms in electrical connectors, including fretting corrosion, oxidation, delamination, wear through of the protective coating, stress relaxation and plastic deformation. It focuses on mechanisms that contribute to increased contact resistance over time and proposes a unified model to explain their interactions. The study introduces a structured methodology for assessing connector health by outlining key measurement techniques and presenting an efficient approach to failure and state analysis that minimizes both testing time and sample size. This methodology is supported by analyses of connectors from long-term life tests and field-used, field-tested vehicles. Additionally, the study explores new aspects of the state analysis for accelerated testing of connectors, supported by examples from field-tested vehicles and various test methods, to predict connectors lifetime and evaluate the effectiveness of existing testing approaches

Development and Implementation of Diversity Programs in Large Collaborative Research Projects: An Example From Germany

In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of the importance of incorporating diversity into research projects, focusing on both how they are conducted and their content. Funding organizations have started to require that research applicants pay attention to inclusion and diversity by considering gender dimensions and other diversity factors in their project plans and ensuring gender equality during execution. Based on an extensive literature research and expert discussions on how to develop and implement diversity strategies in large collaborative research projects, we argue that there is a lack of practical advice in existing literature. Drawing from our own experiences in conceptualizing and implementing a Diversity Program across four universities in Germany, we propose a framework for effectively integrating diversity into collaborative research initiatives across various academic fields

Anomaly detection and removal strategies for in-line permittivity sensor signal used in bioprocesses

Introduction: In-line sensors, which are crucial for real-time (bio-) process monitoring, can suffer from anomalies. These signal spikes and shifts compromise process control. Due to the dynamic and non-stationary nature of bioprocess signals, addressing these issues requires specialized preprocessing. However, existing anomaly detection methods often fail for real-time applications. Methods: This study addresses a common yet critical issue: developing a robust and easy-to-implement algorithm for real-time anomaly detection and removal for in-line permittivity sensor measurement. Recombinant Pichia pastoris cultivations served as a case study. Trivial approaches, such as moving average filtering, do not adequately capture the complexity of the problem. However, our method provides a structured solution through three consecutive steps: 1) Signal preprocessing to reduce noise and eliminate context dependency; 2) Anomaly detection using threshold-based identification; 3) Validation and removal of identified anomalies. Results and discussion: We demonstrate that our approach effectively detects and removes anomalies by compensating signal shift value, while remaining computationally efficient and practical for real-time use. It achieves an F1-score of 0.79 with a static threshold of 1.06 pF/cm and a double rolling aggregate transformer using window sizes w1 = 1 and w2 = 15. This flexible and scalable algorithm has the potential to bridge a crucial gap in process real-time analytics and control

Automated Generation of Test Scenarios for Autonomous Driving Using LLMs

This paper introduces an approach that leverages large language models (LLMs) to convert detailed descriptions of an Operational Design Domain (ODD) into realistic, executable simulation scenarios for testing autonomous vehicles. The method combines model-based and data-driven techniques to decompose ODDs into three key components: environmental, scenery, and dynamic elements. It then applies prompt engineering to generate ScenarioRunner scripts compatible with CARLA. The model-based component guides the LLM using structured prompts and a “Tree of Thoughts” strategy to outline the scenario, while a data-driven refinement process, drawing inspiration from red teaming, enhances the accuracy and robustness of the generated scripts over time. Experimental results show that while static components, such as weather and road layouts, are well captured, dynamic elements like vehicle and pedestrian behavior require further refinement. Overall, this approach not only reduces the manual effort involved in creating simulation scenarios but also identifies key challenges and opportunities for advancing safer and more adaptive autonomous driving systems

(Dis-)Continuation of Territoriality: A Framework for Analysis of the Role of Social Practices in (Re-)Production of Space

The paper explores the correlation between the concepts of territoriality and social practices in the context of urban and rural (re-)production of space. It traces the degree of “habitualisation” of certain actions and the behaviour of stakeholders, identifying those defined as practices, and revealing their role in the (dis-)continuation of territoriality of a region. It takes a German region Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL) as a case study. The research methodology is based on the practice theory of Andreas Reckwitz and his “praxeological quadrat of cultural analysis”, which is applied in this study. The research process includes (a) semi-structured interviews with the representatives of several institutions from the region, (b) narrative analysis and thematic content structuring of the interviews and (c) synthesis analysis. The study clarifies relations between the artefacts and discourses mentioned by the interviewees, and their impact on the practices of the institutions and others contributing to the (dis-)continuation of territoriality and identity of the region. The main findings are related to the (1) methodological contribution—operationalisation of the “praxeological quadrat of cultural analysis”, and (2) substantive contribution—revealing the role of social practices on the continuation of territoriality of the region. The article presents cultural patterns in the perception of and orientation towards long-past territorialities by the interviewees and makes clear what significance these historical and historicising spatial references have for the spatial planning of the present.</jats:p

Der Einfluss von Sozialen Medien auf die Berufsentscheidung Jugendlicher am Beispiel des Transferprojekts Azubi Recruiting Social Media 4.0

Diese Arbeit untersucht, welchen Einfluss die Social Media Präsenz von Unternehmen auf die Berufsentscheidung Jugendlicher haben kann, mit besonderem Fokus auf gewerblich-technische Ausbildungsberufe. Ziel war es, herauszufinden, ob und wie soziale Medien als Instrument zur Ansprache und Gewinnung potenzieller Auszubildender genutzt werden können. Dazu wurden quantitative Befragungen mit Schüler:innen der neunten Klasse durchgeführt. Einmal mit, einmal ohne vorherige Videovorführung. Ergänzt wird die empirische Erhebung durch praktische Erfahrungen aus dem Transferprojekt „Azubi Recruiting Social Media 4.0“. In diesem Projekt wurden Social-Media-Videos produziert sowie ein Leitfaden entwickelt, der kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen helfen soll, eigenständig Inhalte für ihre Ausbildungsberufe zu erstellen und zu veröffentlichen. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung liefern Erkenntnisse darüber, wie soziale Medien zur beruflichen Orientierung beitragen können und was Unternehmen tun können, um dort wirksam sichtbar zu werden

Photogrammetrie von Maquettes: Ein alternativer Workflow für das Character-Modeling

Das Ziel der vorliegenden Bachelorarbeit ist es, zu klären, warum es keinen einheitlichen Character-Modeling-Workflow gibt und ob sich die Photogrammetrie von Maquettes als solcher eignen würde. Um dies zu beantworten, wurde qualitative Literaturrecherche betrieben, semistrukturierte Experteninterviews geführt und ein praktischer Versuch unternommen. Daraus ergab sich, dass der vorgeschlagene Workflow über zahlreiche Vorteile, wie die Steigerung von Kreativität, sowie die Verbesserung der teaminternen Kommunikation, verfügt und dadurch das Potential hat Zeit und Geld in Produktionen einzusparen. Jedoch hängt die Wahl des passenden Character-Modeling-Workflows nach wie vor von den Anforderungen des jeweiligen Projekts ab und lässt sich somit nicht pauschalisieren