The idea is in the dark - make it shine with us!

The team of the Association for the Promotion of the Department of Lighting Technology invites you to submit your creative and innovative ideas on the subject of light. In our ideas competition, we want to unleash your imagination and explore new ways in which light can enrich our lives.

We encourage you to submit your ideas from different disciplines such as novelty, human benefit, synergy, ease of use, possibility of realisation and presentation of the project.

Whether you develop concepts for innovative lighting systems, light installations, interactive light objects or revolutionary applications - there are no limits to your creativity.

Inspiration is also provided - feel free to write to us! The UNIKAT student workshop offers technical support.

Take part in our ideas competition to bring your lighting visions to life and leave a lasting impact on the way we perceive and use light!

Deadline for submission: 04.11.2024

Prize: one-time €600 and for the further development of the idea an annual stipend of €150 per month.

Evaluation criteria:

  1. Be innovative: This competition is all about your ideas! You have the opportunity to help shape the future of lighting technology and turn your visionary concepts into reality.
  2. Develop new skills: Whether you have previous lighting experience or not, this competition will give you the opportunity to expand your skills and try your hand in new areas. You will be supported by experts to help you reach your full potential.
  3. Prizes and recognition: the winners of the competition will not only receive great prizes, but also the opportunity to further develop their ideas in collaboration with experienced professionals. Your work will be made visible and appreciated.
  4. Fun and passion: the competition is not only a platform for your ideas, but also a place where you can live out your passion for technology and design. Let your creativity run free and have fun!

Ready to be a part of it? Here are the key details:

Participants: students or student groups from BA, MA or diploma programs at TU Ilmenau.

 

Contents:

  • Short description of your idea (max. one A4 page)
  • optionally a demonstrator
  • Name and function of the submitted concept
  • What was the motivation for the development?
  • What is new about it?
  • Contact details of the submitter
   

General conditions:

  • The participant bears the costs of creation and submission.
  • Materials will be provided by the Lighting Technology Department after consultation.
  • The demonstrators created remain in the possession of the "inventors" and will be returned after evaluation by the jury.
  • The rights to the idea remain with the inventors.
  • All participants will receive a confirmation of participation
 

Jury:

  • Consists of the board of directors of the association as well as representatives of the field of lighting technology.
  • Makes its selection from the submissions and names the winners by November 11, 2024.
  • Reserves the right not to award a prize or to split the prize.
  • All applicants recognize the decision of the jury (no legal recourse)
 

Contact:

  • Cornelia Vandahl
  • phone (03677) 693735
  • ideenwettbewerb.lichttechnik@tu-ilmenau.de

History of the ideas competition

In 2008, the sponsoring association initiated an annual information day for students, at which the department and lighting technology companies presented themselves. The aim is to inform students at an early stage about the activities of the lighting technology department and to show that the lighting technology industry has a very great need for highly qualified lighting engineers.

Since 2014, the sponsoring association has called on all students of the TU Ilmenau to participate in the annual ideas competition. Designs and initial realizations of innovative lighting concepts are in demand. The association has been able to win over the UNIKAT student workshop for practical help with implementation. For some ideas, the VFL was also involved afterwards by financing material for implementation as part of bachelor's or master's theses.

Competition Ideas 2022

In 2022, two ideas were awarded prizes, both of which were further developed as part of projects.

Jenny Reinhardt came up with the idea of the GreenLights smart flower pot, which also has an integrated humidity sensor. An app reminds you to water and you can adjust the lighting individually.

The GravityGarden by Philipp Tschakert makes indoor gardening easy. This is made possible by automatic watering, lighting, fertilizer supply, temperature and climate control, as well as analysis of growth status and plant health.

   

Competition idea 2019

At the general meeting of the sponsoring association on November 8, 2019 in Ilmenau, Hendrik Thiedke was honored by the association's chairman Bert Junghans for his concept. The idea of an intelligent, so-called "Moving Living Lights MOLLI" developed by him was awarded with a one-year scholarship. Since then, work on the idea has been ongoing. During Hendrik Tiedke's master thesis, a prototype with many functionalities was created in this way.

In order to be able to implement the idea in his own company, Hendrik Thiedke was supported by the start-up service of the TU Ilmenau. He was a member of the first "Ilmkubator Class".

Competition idea 2017

Why should a headlight only be able to move in place? Tristan Reintjes asked himself this question and submitted a mini-prototype for a transversely movable moving head in 2017.

Over the next three years, a group of students from various degree programs then tinkered with a functional prototype whose functionalities could all be controlled via a light console. In 2019, the result was exhibited at the TU Ilmenau's Open Day.

Competition idea 2016

Together with Lennart Planz, the winner of the 2016 competition Simon Lanfermann further developed his idea of the "Multi-Divisio" luminaire with the support of the sponsoring association. In the course of their bachelor theses in the engineering informatics course, the impressive functional model of a kinetic smart home luminaire was created.

Individual light units can be changed in color and arranged so that they can be moved. The luminaire can be controlled remotely via a web server. The system was presented to the public at the LiTG e.V. university stand at the "Light & Building" trade fair in March 2018.

More impressions

2014: Award of certificates to Florian Wolf and Florian Brill by Dr. R. Weitzel

2016: Bert Junghans hands over the certificate to Stephan Pöhler

2022: Award ceremony for Philipp Tschakert and Jenny Reinhardt

2023: Award ceremony for Marius Götz