Development, Controller Design and Validation of a Torque Vectoring System for an All-Wheel Drive Electric Go-Kart

This thesis investigates the design and simulation-based evaluation of a yaw-rate control system using torque vectoring for an all-wheel-drive electric go-kart with independently driven wheels. The work is conducted within a purely model-based framework, employing MATLAB and Simulink to replicate the vehicle dynamics and control interactions in a controlled virtual environment. Torque vectoring describes the distribution of drive torque between individual wheels to influence the yaw moment of the vehicle. This enables targeted improvements in stability, responsiveness, and cornering performance beyond what is achievable with steering input alone. In this study, yaw rate is selected as the primary control variable. A reference yaw rate is derived from the linear bicycle model, and the control objective is to minimize the error between the reference and the simulated actual yaw rate by applying corrective yaw moments through differential torque allocation. A Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller is implemented to track the reference yaw rate. Gain tuning is performed using MATLAB’s PID Tuner, leveraging the system transfer function extracted from the simulation model. The complete control system is integrated into a modular Simulink model of the go-kart, which incorporates the 2-DOF bicycle model for lateral and yaw dynamics, as well as subsystems for maneuver generation and torque vectoring logic. Controller performance is assessed through standard vehicle dynamics test maneuvers, including ramp steer, step steer, and double lane change. For each maneuver, simulations are performed both with and without torque vectoring, allowing quantitative comparison of yaw rate tracking accuracy, stability, and trajectory. The results demonstrate that torque vectoring substantially improves yaw rate tracking and reduces the understeer tendency of the simulated vehicle, particularly during transient maneuvers. Even in a simplified small-scale vehicle model, the benefits of active yaw moment control are evident, underscoring the relevance of torque vectoring for enhancing dynamic performance in electric vehicles with independent wheel actuation. The modular simulation framework developed in this work also provides a foundation for future experimental validation on the physical research platform as well as further developments on the simulation model

Immersives Erleben Ein Einblick in das Immersionsverständnis der Anbieter:innen immersiver Besucherattraktionen

Immersive experiences have been gaining popularity for the past few years within the tourism industry. This bachelor thesis aims to collect and present the understanding of the word immersion as it is interpreted by different organizers of immersive experiences within the tourism industry. Further, this thesis seeks to collect strategies and artistic methods used in the creation of immersive events and attractions to understand which are used to facilitate an immersive experience for the visitors. Moreover, looking to the future, the thesis also intends to garner possible future developments within the immersive industry, as predicted by the organizers interviewed for this thesis. To answer these questions, five organizers and designers of different immersive experiences were interviewed. The results show that the understanding of the term immersion differs between different organizers. It was possible to identify that the individual definitions range from overly spatial and design-oriented to strongly narrative-oriented, as well as an immersion as the absorption of an environment or the participation within the environment. Furthermore, it was possible to identify multiple strategies used in immersive experiences, some of which have not yet been found in current research. The interviewed organizers suggest that immersive design will be a trend within the tourism industry. However, they also state that the term is currently already being overused and diluted in its meaning. This work establishes a basis on which future research can expand by further investigating the definition of the term ‘immersion’ within the tourism industry

Drawbacks of law enforcement in the Euregio Rhine-Waal: the case of work migrants' exploitation in the border region

This thesis examines the challenges of enforcing labor protection for migrant workers in the Euregio Rhine-Waal, a dynamic cross-border region extended across Germany and the Netherlands. The study addresses three core research questions: the specific difficulties faced by migrant workers in accessing adequate housing, fair labor rights, and social security; the role of EU directives and Member State discretion in shaping labor protections; and the enforcement gaps impacting workers’ rights and well-being. A qualitative approach was applied, focusing on the analysis of EU regulations, national policies, and case studies to identify systemic barriers and regulatory inconsistencies. The findings reveal significant disparities in housing standards, labor conditions, and access to social security, driven by divergent interpretations of EU directives by Germany and the Netherlands. Additionally, the lack of coordinated cross-border enforcement amplifies these issues, leaving many migrant workers vulnerable to exploitation. The study concludes that addressing these challenges requires enhanced cross-border cooperation, greater regulatory alignment, and targeted policy reforms to bridge the enforcement gaps. These recommendations aim to uphold the EU’s core value of free movement while ensuring social equity for migrant workers. This research contributes to the broader discourse on labor mobility by highlighting the interplay between legal frameworks and social justice in cross-border regions

The Dialectic of Enlightenment & Gender Equality : Potentials of Critical Theory for the Re- and Deconstruction of Women's Roles in a Patriarchal Society

This thesis examines the ambivalent nature of a supposedly enlightened society using the tools of Critical Theory. The work employs the dialectical method, drawing on Horkheimer and Adorno’s 'Dialectic of Enlightenment' to analyze the contradictory development of gender relations within a seemingly rational and emancipated modernity. The central thesis posits that the ideals of the Enlightenment—devoted to liberty, reason, and equality—dialectically reverse into their opposites. The focus lies on the social role of women, who experience societal subjugation as a result. Through a historical analysis of Early, High, and Late Enlightenment, two structural concepts are identified that emerge from Enlightenment thought: (1) the categorically dichotomized production of knowledge, and the (2) transition from monarchical to physiocratic bourgeois systems. It is shown how a complementarity of the sexes is legitimized on the basis of categorial-dichotomized knowledge production, which is divided into dichotomized social spheres in the sense of an equal society on the basis of their supposedly natural abilities. This creates a dialectical moment that places women in a seemingly natural, but actually ideologically shaped position of subjugation. The third part of the thesis applies Negative Dialectics to deconstruct prevailing gender relations. It questions the foundations of dichotomous knowledge production and explores the compatibility of feminist theories with Critical Theory. Furthermore, it critically engages with identity politics. The aim is to rethink the concept of “woman” from a dialectical-feminist perspective and to outline possibilities for a more equitable societal order beyond rigid categorical designations

Effects of Sewage Sludge Biochar as a Growing Media Component and Phosphate Fertiliser on the Cultivation of Potted Ornamental Plants

There is increasing pressure from the German government on its citizens to reduce dependency on phosphate rock and peat, in agriculture and horticulture. This is due to the phosphate rock oligopoly with associated political instabilities, and the environmental consequences of peat harvesting. Past studies on soilless crop cultivation have shown promising outcomes for the phosphorus (P)-rich sewage sludge biochar (SSB) as an answer to these issues. However, SSB remains as one of the least studied biochar types in soilless ornamental cultivation. The objectives of this study were to investigate the viability of SSB as a P fertiliser and growing media component in pot cultivation of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) and poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima). The addition of SSB at a 10% (v/v) rate to coco peat (SSB 10) was determined as the best composition. Although it did not outperform the control, SSB 10 plants were not significantly lower than the control plants in height, dry aboveground biomass, and number of poinsettia stems across all three species – except in poinsettia biomass. Other rates (5%, 15%, 20%) had significantly lower values in more than one parameter. Physicochemical characterisation also revealed increased P with increasing SSB rates in the growing media. Contrary to other studies, the pH of all growing media did not exceed ideal growing media pH values (5.3-6.5), further solidifying SSB’s viability as a growing media component. The reliability of our results could be improved by recording water uptake of the media, and selection of species with quantifiable aesthetics

Assessment of Emissions from Pig Transportation using the GLEC-Framework

With the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the EU-Taxonomy, the European Union has introduced mandatory sustainability reporting for certain companies to which slaughterhouses and food retailers belong to. Any emission causing practices along the complete supply chain have to be reported on, so that stakeholders and investors have better access to information for their assessment of the respective companies. In the area of animal production, the current literature deems emissions from live-animal transports as negligible, thus the majority of research focused mainly on assessing emission from on-farm operations. In conjunction with the development of an emissions calculator for live-animal transports, this paper deployed the in 2023 released Global-Logistics-Emissions-Council-Framework v3 for the first time to different exemplary transportation scenarios of live-pigs (Sus scrof domesticus) in Germany. The results showed that indeed the contribution of live-animal transport to the total emissions of animal products is significantly low. However, the assessed emissions are still a valuable parameter for sustainability reports as more data enables more accurate evaluations by stakeholders

Entwicklung eines prototypischen Tools zur Automatisierung der Erstellung von Linked Open Data aus Open Data Datensätzen

Linked Data has become an increasingly important publication format for structured information. This thesis explores the extent to which the conversion of Open Data into Linked Open Data can be automated and identifies the main challenges and sources of error. The creation of a prototypical tool was used to gain insights into these challenges and sources of error during the conversion to Linked Data. These were then analyzed and solutions to these problems created. The resulting tool was evaluated with different Open Data datasets. The results show that it is able to partially automate the process of converting Open Data to Linked Open Data and that it succeeded in eliminating key barriers, like the necessary programming skills, currently needed to create Linked Data. This prototype contributes towards decreasing the barrier of entry to create Linked Data and indicates that further research could lead towards the fully automatic conversion to RDF

Laser Modification of Thin Polymer Coatings

Traditional manufacturing techniques are well-established for processing polyimides, such as Kapton®. This thesis presents a novel approach to producing polyimide and graphite using low-cost, commercially available equipment. Employing a 450 nm laser to both imidize and pyrolyze a polyamide precursor enables the flexibility of on-site manufacturing, even at a microscale, without relying on conventional fabrication techniques. The proposed method offers significant advantages, including cost and time efficiency, design flexibility, and biocompatibility, paving the way for innovative micromechanical and biomedical sensing applications. Moreover, this technique would enable the integration of fully additive manufacturing methods for Kapton® production, which currently relies primarily on subtractive manufacturing technologies. The thesis outlines the fabrication process, highlights optimal laser settings, and demonstrates the practicality of this technique by developing a water detector sensor manufactured entirely from the precursor liquid using the described method