Student workshop at DSA: Getting hands-on experience with vehicle communication

From 20 to 22 January 2026, DSA once again hosted a practical workshop over several days with students from RWTH Aachen University. As in previous years, the workshop was closely linked to Dr Diana Fischer's lectures on ‘The Digital Lifecycle of Vehicles as a part of the Internet of Things (IoT)’. Around 40 participants used the three days to put the knowledge gained in the lectures into practice.

Working in small groups, the students tackled real-life tasks related to vehicle communication – from CAN bus messages and the connectivity gateway to ODX data and SOVD. What they learned became particularly tangible when working directly with a real vehicle: with a click of the mouse on the PC, indicators, steering wheel or brake lights were controlled, vehicle data was read out and visualised in a browser dashboard. The tasks provided a clear overview of the system architectures and technical know-how behind modern, connected mobility.

At the end, the teams presented their results and described how they approached the tasks. At the same time, the workshop provided an opportunity for personal exchange: the students gained insights into the work processes, corporate culture and student assistant positions at DSA.