Facilites and Infrastructure

Our GIS pool is an important starting point for studying physical geography. This computer room is a facility of the Faculty of Science and primarily used for our study programmes. Students from various spatial science study programmes can use 16 PCs for their courses or for GIS-supported theses.

Users need to register individually to access the GIS pool. The when and where is announced on our  notice board. Since the GIS pool primarily serves for the processing of GIS projects, other computer work such as writing texts, developing presentations or internet research should be carried out in the CIP pool or other data center facilities.

The institute has two well-equipped laboratories and has all the necessary laboratory equipment for  standard soil physics and soil chemical analysis methods.

Special equipment can be used such as a laser diffraction spectrometer (Coulter LS 200) for automatic grain size analysis and an elemental analyzer (Vario EL III) for the determination of carbon and nitrogen contents (C / N) in soils.

In practical laboratory courses, every student has the opportunity to work intensively with different methods and to handle various laboratory devices.

By evaluating self-generated aerial photographs with the help of photogrammetric measuring devices, we can measure research sites more precisely. The institute has four Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV): a hexacopter drone (Trimble ZX5), a wing drone (Trinity F9) and two quadrocopter drones (Phantom IV Pro).

Therefore we can calculate high-resolution digital terrain models (DGM) and precisely locate them with a high-precision GNSS receiver. Orthophotos and point cloud images can be obtained as well as infrared images (Mapir and Micasense) for vegetation detection. The institute's Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS; Z + F Imager 5010X) can also be used to determine different geomorphometric dimensions.

Geography and landscape scientists need measuring equipment and tools in the field to collect data. Several climate stations with various sensors can be set up for long-term climate observations.

The Pürckhauer drill stick is the ideal tool for taking soil samples from near-surface soil material. Color charts and pH meters allow initial on site analyses. GPS handheld devices are available to locate mapped locations.

The Institute for Physical Geography and Landscape Ecology has two separate multimedia computer workstations. These computers are mainly used for the data processing of two different issues. One computer is primarily used for processing acoustic data. It has a sound card that can process signals via various inputs. A mixer in front of the sound card is used to process analog signals. The workplace is located next to a low-noise room that offers low-noise conditions for acoustic recordings with a microphone and headset. The second computer is mainly used to process moving and static images. A DIN A4 digitizing board with a pen can be used to create vector graphics.

The user programs for sound, image and video editing as well as the author systems are available either with a research and teaching license or as full versions for the creation of multimedia publications. They cover all possibilities for multimedia editing.

Two digital video cameras with a tripod, a DIN A3 flatbed scanner and a directional microphone for outdoor recordings are available to students and staff for primary data creation of images and sound.

Furthermore, the institute has a 3D printer since 2019.

Our Augmented Reality (AR) sandbox can tactiley and visually model changes in the landscape. The Kinect camera and its distance sensor can visualize different landscapes in color and in real time. The display of the contour lines adjusts instantly. Rain events can be simulated and the flow behavior of water can be observed. The viscosity of the water can also be influenced. This makes the AR Sandbox an interesting tool for both teaching and research.