Discover the diversity of science in Saxony, experience the wonders of research and be inspired by science - this was the motto of the first SPIN2030 science festival in Dresden on March 8 and 9, 2024, which was organized by the Saxon Ministry of Science. More than 50 scientific institutions from various corners of Saxony gave people of all ages an insight into their work. The aim of the event was to bring researchers and interested parties together and offer them a platform for exchange. Three slams by students from Dresden University of Technology were among the many outstanding speeches. One of them was Benjamin Gabber, a graduate student from the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Traffic and Transportation Sciences. In his contribution, he dealt with traffic light circuits, more precisely with "Preliminary investigations into the use of variable time gap conditions at traffic light-controlled junctions".

In his seminar paper of the same name, he investigated the optimization potential of traffic light circuits depending on the volume of traffic. With a wink, he said: "Hold on tight, these things are intelligent - believe it or not." As the settings of traffic light systems are currently mainly based on historical data, which does not always guarantee optimal results, Benjamin is working on traffic telematics solutions. The so-called time gaps refer to the time intervals between vehicles that are necessary to ensure safe and efficient traffic at junctions with traffic lights. During his research, he discovered that although there are numerous laws, administrative regulations, standards and the regulations of the FGSV (Forschungsgesellschaft für Straßen- und Verkehrswesen e. V.), there are no scientific publications on the subject. He wanted to change this with his supervisor Dipl.-Ing. Django Adam, who is a research assistant at the Chair of Traffic Process Automation. At the SPIN2030 festival, he also impressed the interested audience with his ideas for improving traffic light circuits.

Benjamin Gabber is in the tenth semester of his degree course in transport engineering with a specialization in transport planning and traffic engineering at the faculty. Born in Dresden, he was looking for a unique, technical specialization and finally found what he was looking for at the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Traffic and Transportation Sciences and is more than satisfied with his choice to this day. Just last semester, he won the audience award for his science slam at the StuFoExpo 2023. We wish him all the best for his professional and personal future!