This morning we started our week with an interesting lecture about politics in Germany. I don’t usually find politics to be interesting, so I was expecting quite a boring morning. To my surprise, the lecture was actually quite intriguing, and I really enjoyed learning about the political system here. I found it especially interesting when we would compare the structures of government in Germany with the government in the United States.  After the lecture, we ate at the mensa (the university’s cafeteria) again. And yet again, it did not disappoint. I had a delicious meal, including a warm cake/bread treat drizzled with a vanilla sauce. It was amazing.

Next, we took a street car to the KUKA headquarters in Augsburg. Upon arrival we entered an interactive display which served as a brief introduction to the company. We were greeted by a robot moving boxes around with cool music and lights, another robot that you could control from a touch screen, and a really nice timeline of the company’s history. This initial experience left me amazed. Technology is growing so rapidly it catches me by surprise every time I see something new. After the intro, we toured the factory. It was very cool to see how robots are made (actually by other robots), but I definitely found myself wanting to go back to the lights and music show in the introduction room. Regardless, the factory tour was enlightening and a great experience. After the tour we learned about KUKA as a company and where they envision themselves in the future. It’s very difficult for me to grasp the concept that robots are real and are doing things humans can do, but it really is happening and will only become more common in the future.

The whole day today was quite informative. Tomorrow we tour Hörauf & Kohler, which is my group’s assigned company. I can’t wait to hear what they have to tell us and find out who they are as a company in the automobile industry!