Model for Teaching Mechanical Engineering

It may look clumsy — but it does move. Models like this were important teaching aids in the mechanical engineering program established by Ferdinand Redtenbacher (1809–1863) at Karlsruhe Polytechnical College since 1841. His innovative approach became the foundation of mechanical engineering as a separate scientific discipline. A key focus of his was, to minimize the effort required to develop machines by calculating forces and material strengths. He saw this as a means for the Continent to compete with British industry. Redtenbacher’s mechanical engineering course in Karlsruhe initially offered two years of training in the foundations, with strong emphasis placed on mathematics. This was followed by two years of specialized training. From 1847, the last mentioned courses were offered at a dedicated technical school, marking the beginning of what would become KIT’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. The demonstration models acquired by Redtenbacher, along with other model collections, became a hallmark of quality for the Polytechnical College. William Barton Rogers, founder of MIT, referred in a report on Karlsruhe Polytechnical College to “an extensive museum of mechanical models of all conceivable mechanical combinations” that he had visited. The models were part of a multimedia exhibit. Redtenbacher’s actual lecture material was supplemented by blackboard drawings from his own hand and even acoustical imitations of machine noises. This form of teaching attracted students from all over Europe. kn