On Friday, you will have a "tussle" with technology before you even set foot in the faculty. A team from the Department of Telecommunication Engineering will welcome you with their program before you enter from Technical Street. "At this year's Night of Scientists, we decided to show the public the experiments that the students conducted in the natural environment of the Orlická Dam at the summer FEL_Camp," said doc. Jiří Vodrážka, head of the department. "This is the use of the concept of software-defined radio, which is the basis of many modern communication systems today. For example, receiving signals from satellites and decoding meteorological images will be presented," the scientist described.
Fans of robotics will also find something to enjoy. The team from FEL will demonstrate the capabilities of the robots they are developing. For example, they will show how they can help in rescuing people, exploring hard-to-reach areas, as well as in the field of ecology. "We will be happy to show some of our 'toys' to those interested and maybe there will be time for playing together," said Ing. Bedřich Himmel from the Department of Cybernetics.
Young visitors will be introduced to the programming of miniature robots, so-called ozobots, and the production of magic wands by members of the wITches association, which popularizes IT and technology in primary schools. A crash course in soldering will be given by students from the +/-FEL club "You will build and power up a simple electrical circuit and take home a small glowing souvenir. Creative enthusiasts can make ornaments from old electronic components," said Daniel Justiz on behalf of the student club.
Do you like fast cars? Then you should not miss the stand of the successful student team eForce FEE Prague Formula. Its members will show the autonomous electric car they are developing and racing with it on European tracks. Visitors will learn what building a formula car entails and will also sit in a racing simulator.
An unusual journey through the streets of Prague is offered by the famous Langweil's model of Prague converted to virtual reality at the FEL CTU. "Antonín Langweil created the model of Prague around 1830 in his lithographic workshop, so it is a combination of printing and hand-made modifications of the facades of buildings. Although the scale of the model is miniaturistic, approximately 1:480, the details of the facades of the houses are very precise and faithfully preserve the state of old Prague at that time," noted Dr. David Sedláček from the Department of Computer Graphics and Interaction. "Viewing the model in virtual reality transports us not only in space, but also in time. You can walk through familiar streets, but also through already rebuilt parts of Prague from Loretánské náměstí to the Powder Tower. In the model, we can reveal house signs from the perspective of a pedestrian, or we can view parts of the model from the so-called 'god's eye view' and look into city´s nooks inaccessible from the streets," the scientist described. Although the digitisation and 3D reconstruction of the model began more than 15 years ago, according to Dr Sedláček, viewing it seamlessly and displaying it in virtual reality in the highest detail is still a technical challenge today.
See the sound and enjoy the lightning
Why is it necessary to use high voltage, where do we encounter it at home and what would the world look like without it? Marek Novotný, a student of FEL, will talk about this and much more during the lecture, which will take place at 18:30 in lecture room 209 on the second floor. He will also prepare five experiments - for example, he will show when it is safe to touch high voltage. But that's not all! Marek Novotný and his colleague Tomáš Koudelka will also play an original concert using Tesla transformers in front of the faculty building after dark, which will be a treat for the ears.
You will experience a spectacular storm and a great spectacle during the tour of the high voltage laboratory and you will also hear interesting facts about the test sources for the production of electric discharges. Guided tours of the laboratory will take place every half hour during the Night of Scientists - meetening on the ground floor of the FEL at the entrance to the building.
You can "see" the sound again thanks to the ultrasonic levitator, which will be demonstrated by the team from the Department of Measurement. The levitator creates standing waves that allow light particles, such as polystyrene balls, to levitate. The same team will also take you on an exploration of modern navigation systems and talk about things like how systems work to locate firefighters in areas without a GNSS signal and other technical secrets. The scientists will then advise small and large tinkerers on how to build, for example, a simple oscilloscope, a working generator or a counter - devices based on microcontrollers.
You will see how the live broadcasts are prepared in the video editing room and you will also be able to try editing under the guidance of the experts from the AV Studio FEL. And find out how to measure when people's ears are "playing". Scientists will also explain the possibilities of exploring materials with light.
And there will also be an electrifying encounter with the Van de Graaff generator, which will be running at full speed on Scientists' Night.
We look forward to seeing you!