Abstract:

Satellite navigation is widely used for personal navigation and more and more also in precise and safety-critical applications. Thus, the subject is suited for attracting the interest of young people in science and engineering. The practical applications allow catching the students’ attention for the theoretical background. Educational material on the subject is sparse, especially with respect to the practical side. This paper describes a combined approach based on experiments and theory. Three experiments, built on one another, allow the participants to experience and understand the fundamental problems faced in satellite navigation. The experiments make use of different sensors and techniques, such as microphones, GPS receivers and outer space simulation tools. The approach was tested during a two days course for college students visiting the Technische Universität München on a girl’s day event. The positive feedback the supervisors received led to the conclusion that the approach is supportive for raising the student’s interest in science and engineering.