At this year's networking meeting at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, it once again became clear that the widespread opinion that engineering professions, and electrical engineering and information technology in particular, have nothing to do with people is a gross misconception.

The focus was not only on technical excellence, but also on social relevance, interdisciplinary collaboration and the great potential of a diverse research and learning culture. The spotlight was on three professors, who impressively demonstrated how diverse and socially relevant research at the etit department is with the exhibits they brought with them.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Hoog Antink works on medical engineering and sensor systems that record physical processes such as movement, heartbeat or breathing without contact – using video analysis alone. He uses both highly specialised cameras and simple, low-cost solutions such as webcams or smartphone technology. The aim of his research is to make medical engineering suitable for everyday use and accessible – for better healthcare directly in the home.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Graeff brought along a special historical object: a gift for the founder of biophysical radiotherapy in Europe. It is a plastic plate that was irradiated in water with a carbon beam. The resulting traces are made visible by subsequent etching – a physical testimony to the effect of radiation on matter. The object symbolises pioneering scientific work and the development of radiotherapy in Germany and Europe.

The exhibit brought along by Prof. Dr. Anna C. Bakenecker was a micro-robot that can be moved through a model of a brain vessel using magnetic fields. In the future, such robots will be used to transport drugs to areas of the body that are difficult to access.

The second part of the meeting focussed on the topic of diversity in medical engineering. It became clear that medical engineering not only arouses technical interest, but also opens up diverse perspectives. The professors emphasised how important diverse teams are for creative research. Particularly pleasing: at TU Darmstadt, the gender ratio in Medical Engineering is now almost balanced – a clear improvement on the traditional, still male-dominated field of electrical engineering.

Mentoring, targeted approaches and early involvement in research projects were cited as key approaches to strengthen women in particular on their scientific path. The opportunity to work with a 50:50 population is a great strength and at the same time a mandate to specifically promote young talent.