Smartphones and mobile communications have become an integral part of modern life. The prerequisite(s) for this are high-frequency electromagnetic radio waves. "You can't see or hear it, you can't feel or taste it - and yet it works every day," says Dr. Stephan Ludwig enthusiastically. The Professor of Digital Technologies at Aalen University of Applied Sciences conducts research in the field of radio communication, particularly with regard to future generations of mobile communications such as 6G. This technology also has great advantages for the manufacturing industry, for example in optimizing company processes and saving production costs. His research activities are now being supported by the EXPLOR funding program of the Kessler + Co. foundation for education and culture in Abtsgmünd.
It usually starts with pencil and paper. "All theory is gray at first," laughs Prof. Dr. Stephan Ludwig. It gets exciting for him when there is a practical benefit at the end: "As an engineer, I want to solve real problems from practice; practical experience." In his current research, the doctorate in electrical engineering is focusing on how artificial intelligence can be used to improve the cooperation, cooperative venture, partnership collaboration, of radio communication and radar systems. Specifically, the aim is to generate Radar images of the surrounding area at the same time as the radio signals emitted during each data communication. "On the one hand, we have the radio waves for data transmission, such as in cell phones, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and on the other, radar signals that can be used to locate objects and take pictures of the surroundings - many drivers already use this as a parking aid."
Less data, less computing power, less Energy
According to Ludwig, there are clear advantages to combining the two worlds. This is because the use of artificial intelligence methods - or, more precisely, methods of model-based machine learning - allows models to be created that take into account existing knowledge of data transmission technology and signal processing and therefore require significantly less data, less computing power and less Energy. "This is particularly important in times of Climate Change and Scarcity of Resources, as machine learning usually requires huge amounts of data to be processed and this requires vast amounts of Energy in Computing Centres," emphasizes the 43-year-old.
Cutting-edge technology for widespread use in society
In addition to its use in industrial production, Ludwig also sees great potential in other fields (of). For example, in autonomous vehicles or home emergency calls for senior citizens. "If older people fall and are no longer able to make an emergency call, this new School of Engineering could transmit that a person is lying helplessly on the floor," explains Ludwig. He is very keen to make cutting-edge technologies accessible for widespread use in society. However, research into joint communication and sensor technology is still in its infancy. The Stuttgart native is therefore all the more pleased about the EXPLOR funding programme from the Kessler + Co. foundation for education and culture in Abtsgmünd, as it will enable him to expand his own RU for Communications Engineering research: "This will allow us to pick up speed quickly and conduct research on this exciting topic together with partners from Germany and abroad."
Passionate lifeguard
Prof. Dr. Stephan Ludwig has been teaching and conducting research at the Faculty of Electronics and Computer Science at Aalen University of Applied Sciences since 2021. After completing his Abitur, university entrance qualification, he studied electrical engineering at Ulm University, specialized in Communications Engineering and earned a doctorate at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich. He then worked as a research engineer at Bosch. When the professorship for Communications Engineering was called for proposals at Aalen University of Applied Sciences, he did not hesitate for long. "The combination of research and teaching is very attractive," says Ludwig, who is also a lifeguard at heart and has already taken part in several world championships in lifeguarding.
Preference: cracking tough nuts
"What you need in this sport, as in others, is motivation, discipline and perseverance - just like in Studies and research," Ludwig emphasizes. He also wants to liaise with (companies), liaise between (students and companies), coordinate act as an intermediary between. And that it can be a lot of fun to crack "tough nuts". "Sometimes it hurts a bit, but when you have the solution, it's enormously satisfactory," says the 2.03-metre-tall man. For the father of two, funding without supporter, sponsor is "pampering". "Sometimes I get the impression that we are resting too much on the achievements of the past. But without engineers who bring something new to the table with bite and passion, our prosperity will no longer be sustainable in the future," the expert in radio communication technology and signal processing is certain.
Discovering new territory
Discovering new territory with his research is what drives Ludwig. "Doing things that none of us have done before, not being discouraged, constantly learning new things - that's very rewarding." Not a day goes by without him discovering and understanding new things. "And then new ideas come up about what else you could do. The unresolved questions literally jump out at you," says Ludwig, smiling mischievously.
