Abstract: A device for checking a wheel of a rail car for flat spots. The device includes a microelectromechanical microphone for acquiring measured air-borne sound values within a first time span. In addition, the device includes a processing unit, which is configured to determine, as a function of the measured air-borne sound values acquired, if the wheel has a flat spot. The essence of the present invention is that the device includes an acoustic waveguide. In addition, the device takes the form of a mobile device and may be situated on or in the rail car in such a manner, that air-borne sound, which is radiated at a boundary surface, as air-borne sound, by structure-borne sound propagating through the rail car, is transmitted to the microphone by the acoustic waveguide. Also described is a related method for checking a wheel of a rail car for flat spots.

Abstract: A radar sensor is mounted in the area of a parking space for a motor vehicle in such a way that if a motor vehicle is present in the parking space, signals that are emitted by the radar sensor are reflected back from the motor vehicle. A method for determining an occupancy state of the parking space includes the steps of emitting radar signals; receiving reflected radar signals; and determining whether a motor vehicle is present in the parking space, based on the reflected radar signals. The determination is based on noise components of the reflected radar signals.

Abstract: A method for fault tree analysis of a technical system, which includes a plurality of functional units, the technical system being modeled as a tree-like logical linkage of causative events, which may culminate in an undesirable event, and the causative events including malfunctions of individual functional units, a tree-like logical linkage having a self-similar structure being selected. An associated computer program is described. A surroundings detection system and/or a control system for an at least partially automated driving vehicle, including a plurality of functional units having mutual dependencies, which link the functional units in a tree-like structure in such a way that an undesirable event occurs if a logical linkage of causative events is true, the causative events including malfunctions of individual functional units, the tree-like structure being self-similar.

Abstract: A humidity sensor having a housing, a data logger that has such a humidity sensor as well as a evaluation method for the humidity sensor or the data logger. The housing of the humidity sensor has a recess in which a humidity sensor element is situated. To protect the humidity sensor element against the ingress of water, a membrane is provided that covers at least a portion of the recess and thus defines a detection volume around the humidity sensor element. This membrane allows for an exchange of air with the surroundings so that the humidity sensor element is able to detect the air humidity. It is also designed in such a way that it prevents the ingress of water. The detection volume is designed to be as small so that the humidity of the detection volume adapts quickly to the surrounding climate that is to be measured.