Moving ideas

They took some getting used to but are standard today: many inventions have helped to improve road safety over recent decades.

A team of researchers from Osram and BMW developed a high beam that gives drivers a good view of the road even when driving at night.

Researchers from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have developed a satellite duo called TanDEM-X that can map every corner of the Earth in detail and…

The fuel cell is a promising technology for alternative energy sources. Researchers at Mercedes-Benz harnessed this technology for the automotive…

Can humans rise into the air with just a few turns of a pedal? Yes, we can, if we are in good physical shape and have the right aircraft. Holger…

Navigation devices are standard equipment in road vehicles today. The first prototype, developed in 1983, came from the company Blaupunkt and was…

The anti-lock braking system (ABS) is now part of the standard safety equipment in cars. Thanks to a collaboration between Mercedes- Benz and Bosch,…

No more money laundering at ticket machines: the company Scheidt & Bachmann developed a secure system featuring an intermediate cash box. Deutsche…

In 1974, the company Kiekert invented the central locking system, putting an end to complicated car locking technology.

The engineer Ludwig Elsbett started a minor revolution in the automobile industry in the 1970s: he launched the first direct-injection diesel engine…

The first speed trap from the company Telefunken started to make it hard for drivers to speed more than 60 years ago.

The dream of flying defined his life: engineer Henrich Focke was a restless researcher and is today considered the “father of the helicopter”.

The history of shipping is a history full of innovations: the development of the Flettner rotor enabled the conversion of wind energy into drive…

A passenger ship sinks – and becomes the focus of attention for researchers all over the world. Shortly after the sinking of the Titanic, physicist…

The act of locating ships is no longer remarkable today. But it was in Christian Hülsmeyer’s day: in the early 20^th century, the technology enthusiast…

Anton von Rieppel is a pioneer of modern large-scale industry. And he had a weakness for bridges. His supporting framework was used, among other…

Today, we only see Zeppelins in the sky as advertisements. They were invented in the late 19^th century by Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin.

Continuously welded rails are more stable, require less maintenance, and reduce train noise. The thermite welding process makes all this possible.

Otto Lilienthal made mankind’s age-old dream of flying come true: he invented the glider.

A life without a car? Unimaginable for most people. The story of the modern automobile began over 130 years ago with Carl Benz.

A wooden vehicle with two wheels and no pedals: this was the precursor to today’s bicycle. Karl Drais came up with the idea in 1817.