STORIES

Play for talents

Fill Future Lab | © Fill

Discovering new talents with playful ease

In the Fill Future Lab, Raphael teaches the next generation about the fascinating world of digitalization.

“Keep on rolling.” Dusty – a vacuum cleaner robot – quietly buzzes around the room, diligently sucking up the last traces of a busy day from the floor of the Fill Future Lab.

“Rocking and rolling” – because today, the 24 curious school pupils from the 1st grade of Neue Mittelschule Altheim paid a visit. This was their first ever visit to a manufacturing company, and for most of them, it was also the first time that they were able to discover current high-tech trends. This was obviously very exciting.

In eight labs, the pupils were able to solve age-appropriate tasks using virtual reality, robotics, 3D printing, and laser technology, and thereby experience the potential of technologies and their practical uses up close and personal. All very interesting, but also very important, because learning through play and the skill to integrate technologies into new processes with ease and as a matter of course is a key skill with which the next generation will change the world.

In the Media Lab, Anita and Lina used Greenwall technology to visit the most beautiful and remote places in the world, sharing cool influencer postings on a protected social media account. The Mobility Lab requires a little more skill than virtual travel, for example when flying drones or controlling the extremely maneuverable, visionary concept vehicles. On the other hand, creativity is beneficial in the Making Lab. 3D printing is used to create the most unusual things here – and the laser cutter means that there are (almost) no limits to the graphic designs.

And then there are lots of robots. While Pepper continuously improves his linguistic repertoire, Alpha impresses with incredible dance moves and show interludes. If you don’t find Gangnam Style sufficiently challenging, you can compete with Alpha in the Health Lab in the ultimate push-up challenge – needless to say, one-armed. There is no doubt: Even Rocky Balboa wouldn’t stand a chance against this incredibly lively robot!

And Alexa was in a particularly good mood today, executing the children's spoken commands precisely. The weather report and news from around the world were followed by old classics on the radio. While “Eye of the Tiger“ was playing, the only just programmed high-tech lamps were pulsating alongside. Disco feeling in the Smart Lab.  

With the composure of a Buddhist monk, Raphael kept well on top of things from the Data Lab – except when he was helping the pupils, of course.

“Keep on rolling”, that’s his motto. At work and also privately – although one hundred percent analogue in this case – with his favorite hobby: playing tricky strategy games. Raphael is more than happy with how everything went today: “The kids were full of enthusiasm and would have loved to stay longer. But they didn’t love reading the instructions. Developing patience isn’t easy.”

He has been a member of our team for seven years, and he completed his software engineering training at Fill. During his community service, and as a volunteer at the Pramet therapy center, he discovered that he enjoyed working with children and young people. As a product manager and trainer in the Future Lab, he is responsible for continuous further development of the individual programs.

The journey of discovery for pupils into the world of digital applications lasted four hours. What remained were many lasting impressions, ideas, inspirations, and a big grin. Because technology in the Fill Future Lab is fun.

And once all systems go on stand-by, it’s time for Dusty to get going. Keep on rolling.

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