We are delighted to announce that our research assistant, Julian Schuler, has been awarded the Sick Science Prize! The Gisela and Erwin Sick Foundation has presented its Science Prize to young researchers for the twelfth time. The award honors outstanding work that provides a practical and sustainable benefit to humanity and society through innovative technologies - particularly measurement methods and sensors.
Julian received the award for his outstanding Master's thesis in the field of acoustic underwater communication. The Innovation: Software-Defined Acoustic Modems (SDAMs) allow researchers to flexibly adapt underwater data transmission via software, but they have traditionally been highly expensive and hard to access. Julian solved this challenge by developing a firmware update that transforms the existing, low-cost "ahoi modem" into a fully functional SDAM. Making Research Accessible: No need for expensive new hardware—existing modems can now be upgraded easily via software. To support the global research community, the software will be released as Open Source following the publication of the upcoming scientific paper.
Julian completed both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Computer Sciences here at the TU Hamburg and has been officially part of our team as a research assistant since the beginning of 2026, focusing on acoustic backscatter communication through metallic structures.
We are incredibly proud to have such innovative minds shaping the future of maritime technology in our institute. Congratulations, Julian!
Read more about the award and the other amazing winners here: TUHH homepage
