Community #4: TUCreate

The workshops and labs at Clausthal University of Technology are open to you at a total of three locations: at the Institutes of Computer Science (IFI), Mechanical Engineering (IMW), and Welding Technology and Separative Manufacturing Processes (ISAF). I visited two of the workshops and am fascinated by the many possibilities. Plus, you can walk into the workshops even without much prior knowledge, because there are plenty of staff members available to advise and support you in bringing your project ideas to life.

First, my visit took me to the workshop spaces at the Institute of Computer Science. The first thing I notice is a foosball table right in the middle of the room. On the left are computers and components; on the right, you’ll find, among other things, a large soldering station. “Outside of TUCreate’s opening hours, these are workspaces for bachelor’s and master’s theses,” says Andreas Reinhardt (IFI). “You do need a break every now and then,” he adds, glancing at the foosball table. In the workshop, students can, among other things, work on their own electronic DIY projects, repair electrical devices that no longer work, or borrow and test single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi or Arduino. So far, for example, students have built a clock that announces the time in words. Small kits—such as one for a mini-synthesizer—can also be used to try their hand at soldering. “The largest device we’ve had here so far was an expensive sewing machine. Its motor had given out,” says Andreas Reinhardt.