Author: Holger Günzel

Posted on

Saving peatlands using artificial intelligence to protect the climate?

Contribution by Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel (HM)

With the virtualisation of the Learning Lab “JAI” (Jumpstart into Artificial Intelligence), which has been running successfully for several semesters, a new end-to-end project on peatland rescue was introduced.

In the Learning Lab Workshop “JAI”, an initial understanding of both professional and technical approaches to artificial intelligence (AI) is to be generated.

For this purpose, the students are confronted with an unconventional case (https://videos.mysimpleshow.com/eb5k5DWHwU), which is to be solved by the students with AI support. The project “Renaturation of peatlands to store CO2” serves to get the participants excited about the topic of AI, but also to sensitise them to ecological application possibilities. Peatlands can make a valuable contribution to climate protection through their ability to store carbon. In the past, many peatlands were deprived of this property through drainage for agricultural use or through the use of the material. To revitalise peatlands, achieving an intact water balance is an important step. The correct adjustment of the water level, taking into account the status quo, is of enormous importance. Satellite-controlled monitoring of soil moisture and analysis by artificial intelligence can show how much water is stored in the soil.

Especially the use of AI for climate protection convinced many participants to work intensively on this workshop.

Posted on

New learning experience with „Let us chat“

Contribution by Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel (HM)

The latest online learning lab workshop LUC (“Let us chat”) by almost 40 students of the Munich University of Applied Sciences initially carried out and thus implemented some interesting ideas.

Chatbots are ubiquitous: chatbots provide information, answer customer queries or take over the acceptance of repairs. The chatbot as a dialogue system for text input and output, allows the interaction of user and IT system in as natural language as possible and automates recurring conversations.

At the end of the winter semester 2020/2021, the latest online learning lab workshop LUC was carried out by almost 40 students of the Munich University of Applied Sciences with the construction of a “GreenovationBot” – from ideation, through installation to implementation and deployment. In the process, the participants use rule-based, but also text-based methods.

The chatbot software “Botpress Server” is used in a cloud environment. At the end of the module, the students were once again allowed to demonstrate their knowledge in an agile setting. The result was five chatbot ideas such as the infobot for the Scrumguide “SimpleScrum”, the acquisition bot “CIL-ly” for the Co-Innovation Lab or the retro-bot “Reto”.

Posted on

DMF: Databases for everyone!

Contribution by Prof. Dr. Holger Günzel (HM)

Databases are omnipresent: almost every application uses a database system as a basis for the stringent management of data. Data management as part of data literacy is the basis for the digitalisation of processes and the development of new business models. This is why these methods and concepts are often taught to non-IT students in courses.

The online workshop “Data Management Foundation” goes a step further. Participants acquire the ability to practically design data management solutions. This is done not only by dealing with the conception and modelling of logical data structures, but also by creating a cloud-based application with the low-code development platform Oracle APEX (Application Express). The students implement a platform for the reuse of discarded products in the workshop (https://videos.mysimpleshow.com/YY9cwFIEvs).

Posted on

From the modeled process to a digitized workflow: the new virtual workshop “Process Management Fundamentals” (PMF)

Due to the special Covid19 situation, the latest Learning Lab was developed as a virtual workshop format in the current summer semester 2020: the workshop “Process Management Fundamentals” (PMF).
This allows processes to be made comprehensible, self-directed and experienced collaboratively even in distance learning. In the new workshop by professor Dr. Holger Günzel and Dr. Lars Brehm from Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences, processes are not only modeled. In addition, the execution is checked by simulation and the transfer to automated workflows for the execution of the processes: Forms can be filled out, emails sent or documents generated. By making the results directly visible, the gap that often exists between theory and practice is significantly reduced: The ability to easily understand existing process models is complemented by the ability to create your own models.

Workshop PMF in Action

Initially, the workshop was used in the summer semester 2020 with 20 students in the Bachelor of Business Administration. For this purpose, the proven tools such as Zoom and Breakout Sessions, Nuclino as a collaboration tool and Signavio as a cloud system for process modeling were used.

Posted on

Sharing agricultural machines: an industry showcase based on the ‘HAT’ Workshop

Students within the masters program ‘Applied Business Innovation’ have developed a new IoT solution for the agriculture industry based on ideas which they drafted in the Learning Lab stream ‘HAT – Home Automation with IoT‘.

To achieve the goals of the 2015 World Climate Conference, emissions must be saved across all sectors. Ms. Dörr, Ms. Egert, Ms. Laufs and Ms. Peters – all students of the master’s degree program “Applied Business Innovation” – have taken this as a basis to develop a digital and sustainable concept for agriculture. The use of digital technologies in agriculture should not only offer monetary benefits, but also enable a more sustainable way of doing business.


Elena Laufs and Anna-Sophie Peters, Wiebke Dörr and Annabel Egert at the Digi-Slam 5 of the Hochschule München

In the paper downloadable below, a concept for optimizing the current process of machine sharing in agriculture is set up. With the help of an IoT-based sharing platform, the process is digitalized and made more efficient. Furthermore, by focusing on the sharing of agricultural machines with alternative drives, emission reduction and the use of renewable energies are promoted on site. The student team presented their results at the Digi-Slam 5 of the Hochschule München – download the project paper (in German) here .

LL4DT_Projektarbeit_GreenMaschineSharing_2020Download

Further article at: www.oekolandbau.de:
https://www.oekolandbau.de/landwirtschaft/pflanze/landwirtschaftliche-maschinen-teilen-digitalisierung-bietet-grosse-chancen/

Posted on

New stream “HAT – Home Automation with Internet of Things” is now available

In the winter semester 2020/21, the new stream “HAT” (Home Automation with Internet of Things) was already initially executed in the Master of Business Administration “Applied Business Innovation”. The stream shows the technical fundamentals and possibilities of the Internet of Things (IoT). Using the example of Smart Home, sensors and actuators are linked together.

The participants, who mainly started without a technical background, do not learn IoT theoretically, but build a larger case based on the single-board computer Raspberry Pi and various sensors. They read out values, control output devices and graphically create and operate data-based processes using the Node-Red automation tool. Furthermore, the participants learn about and use the MQTT (“Message Queue Telemetry Transport”) protocol.