Today’s earliest morning started at around 5am for me so I could be ready to go at 5:45am for Aumovio in Regensburg. We got there easily and were even early for once. We didn’t get to see much of the corporate building, but the room we were in for the presentation was nice. Aumovio just split from Continental recently and started operating on their own, producing vehicle electronics, software defined systems, and mobility solutions. This was a different presentation because many of us had zero background on the topic and the presenter did a good walking through everything from the switchboards and how they’re made to each part of the software function in the vehicles. I found the concepts and parts to be confusing but after we went on the factory tour it made some more sense. There were many robots doing a majority of the production because they move so fast, one of them was able to produce 200,000 parts in just an hour. There were many humans on the floor manning the robots, feeding them parts, and ensuring they ran smoothly. The factory was packed from one side to the other with robots and production with just a small area to walk between each. We also had to wear protective gear because the electrostatic waves and dust from our clothes could cause the parts to malfunction which I found interesting.

After the factory tour we went into the city of Regensburg itself, which reminded me a little bit of Nuremberg, but seemed a lot bigger and more lively. I loved the colorful buildings that lined the river and all the shops and restaurants in the area. There was a lot to do and I enjoyed walking around for a while. We also had a tour of the town hall which was so cool. The tour guide was great and we got to see the rooms where they used to hold town hall meetings (where they now hold classical concerts). The craziest part of the tour was that we saw the dungeon and torture chambers there. Anyone who committed a crime was subject to public punishment, but anyone who committed capital crimes were put into the torture chamber to get them to confess, which only one person documented ever made it out without confessing. The cells they used to keep the prisoners in were super small with low ceilings. We were able to go in and see what they were like. It was crazy to see how a prosecution system worked back in an older Regensburg time and the development of the treatment within the system. 

I also got to see the St. Peters Cathedral which was a beautiful site both inside and out. The Cathedral was beautiful, when I walked in it took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the dark. Once they did, I saw all the art, glass panels on the wall, and massive organ. I was also able to light a candle so my lost love ones had a light to come back to. It was a beautiful and very meaningful experience for me and I was glad I got to be there.