Even at school, Monika Hemelmayr was enthusiastic about STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Not surprisingly, her further path led her via a mechatronics technical college to a degree in electrical engineering. “Technology fascinates me,” says Monika, “because there is always a logical explanation and everything has a structure. I was most interested in circuit technology and signal processing."

Breathing life into the device

During her studies, Monika worked as a student intern at AVL and was then taken on as a firmware development engineer. "I am responsible for the complete sequence control of a device. Because you have to tell the device everything it needs to do at the right time - from the pumps to the valves to the right flow rate." Monika develops the software for particle measuring devices at AVL. There are currently eight devices that the developer breathes life into with her software - ranging from brake wear devices to the AVL Smoke Meter, which measures the soot content in the exhaust gas of combustion engines. Teamwork is essential here, as the developers work closely with the software team. "As soon as the hardware is ready, I come into play. But it's important that I'm involved right from the start and know how a device works. Only then can I write the software that makes it work. I'm constantly learning exciting things from my colleagues, for example in physics, and I never stop learning - that's exactly what makes my job special for me. Because no two days are the same."

Teamwork

Pioneering spirit plays an essential role at AVL. Monika is particularly proud of the AVL Opacimeter, an exhaust particle measuring device, the latest development of which she has been involved in from the very beginning. One of her current projects is the development of the AVL UltraFine Particle Monitor™: “It is used to monitor air quality in terms of the concentration of ultrafine particles in cities. Ultrafine particles are smaller than ¬ nm and are suspected of having serious effects on human health. The AVL UltraFine Particle Monitor ™ was developed on the basis of an existing measuring device for combustion engines and makes a decisive contribution to the fight against air pollution. This look to the future and the willingness to innovate are what characterize AVL for Monika: “It's cool to work in a flexible team where you always support each other and create something new together.”