There are people who want to get out into the big wide world after graduating from high school. And there are people Jan. He admits that he has never really wanted to travel abroad. Having grown up in Bad Hersfeld, Jan went to nearby Fulda to study electrical and information technology, and at the university there kept coming across the EDAG Group. For his Master's degree, he decided to specialize in embedded systems. At the EDAG Group, he was given the opportunity to write his thesis in this field - and then stay there.
And now? "Getting to work is quick and easy, it's just a two-minute walk away," says Jan. So the plan to do what he enjoys professionally and still stay in his home region has worked out well. Together with his girlfriend, a veterinary assistant by profession, and two cats, he lives just around the corner from the Fulda branch. "Finding this apartment was a stroke of luck!" says Jan. Only the horse named Plötze, who is now stabled a few kilometers away, could not be fitted in. You've got it. Jan is an animal lover. And a gamer. Plötze was called after the horse in the computer game "The Witcher", which is based on the book series with the same name.
Jan has been with the EDAG Group for four years, working as a development engineer in the Embedded Systems department. Since January 2022 as a project leader.
One of the projects closest to his heart is the "TWIKE", a three-wheel electric vehicle – with a few special features. For example, there are pedals in the footwell for the driver and passenger, so that they can pedal while driving to charge the battery. Instead of a steering wheel, the small car has two joysticks, but these are not used just for steering. One of the joysticks is used to accelerate. "This is a completely different concept for such a vehicle," says Jan. And that is what makes it so appealing.
The company and the idea for the extraordinary three-wheeler have been around for more than 20 years. The "TWIKE" Jan and his team are helping to develop is the fifth generation. Two EDAG Group departments are involved in the project. One is taking care of the hardware and cable harness. Jan and his colleagues are programming a system that will connect all of the vehicle's components, sensors and control units with each other. "One of the things we are doing is writing the software that recognizes the keystroke on the joystick and transmits the information, for example, to signal a right or left turn. But also software for more complex tasks such as the motor control logics. We handle all interfaces from the light to the battery charging system," explains Jan.
The "cool" thing about the project is programming a complete vehicle. In a job like his, that's not necessarily a given. If you work for one of the major vehicle manufacturers, for example, a lot of things are cast in standard processes. "That does, of course, have its advantages," says Jan. But in this project, there is much more interaction with the purchasing company about the ideas. This makes things exciting: helping to shape the mobility of the future, developing a small, lightweight car with a concept.
For this reason, he is also fascinated by other projects such as the CityBot developed by the EDAG Group – an autonomous vehicle for the city, which can take over transport tasks, but also, for instance, recognize and collect garbage – thanks to its modular system. A solution to congestion and lack of parking space, but also for a cleaner city.
"Of course, we sometimes also have project phases that are stressful or not so much fun," says Jan, talking about his work for the EDAG Group. But the climate is really good. You're not just some kind of number. And you have a lot of freedom.
Mostly, Jan uses this freedom to teach at the University of Fulda. In the lecture halls where he was himself a student himself just a few years ago, he now passes on his knowledge of software development to students. In the "Design of Software-Intensive Systems" program, Jan helps them to understand the complete software development process
"Being a development engineer day in day out doesn't mean that you just write software all day, you also have to deal with all sorts of different things," says Jan. So his schedule also includes requirements management, architecture, testing, quality assurance, and also HR planning – taking a model of an electric window regulator as an example. The software for this is planned and implemented by the students working together. A practical and realistic change from the otherwise largely theoretical daily routine at the university. Often, how to respond to customers' wishes is something you can only learn on the job, says Jan, who now has a second university position teaching applied computer science. There are also plans to hold guest lectures on some of the EDAG Group's exciting projects at the university in the future. "For me, teaching is a way of realizing my potential in the field of education in addition to my job with the EDAG Group. And it's nice to see that others can benefit from my experience and knowledge," says Jan.
