Vilho Väisälä's workshop inspires learning
The workshop originates from the Electronics Workshop course, which has long given Aalto's electrical engineering students a taste of hands-on work and prototyping right from the start of their studies. The renovated and expanded workshop was inaugurated in September 2023 as Vilho Väisälä's workshop in recognition and gratitude for the valuable long-term support to Aalto by Vilho Väisälä's descendants, the Weisell Foundation and Vaisala Oyj.
The workshop on Maarintie in Otaniemi now offers several courses and is used by 500-600 eager students every year. It is open to all Aalto students and is known for its can-do spirit and supportive atmosphere.
‘Practical work reinforces your understanding of the theory you have learned. The workshop courses also prepare you for working life, where product development, design and testing are done in teams,’ says Iiro Karppanen, a student of electrical engineering. ‘After the course, I was inspired to do my own electronics projects, for which the workshop has useful equipment such as 3D printers, soldering equipment and oscilloscopes,’ he continues.
Tom Railio, a computer science student, designed a prototype of a ‘corona helmet’ in the Electronics Workshop course, which included a speech function that was difficult to implement. 'It was easy to smile in the course gala when we presented the successful prototype. In the course, upper secondary school studies in electrical physics opened up in a whole new way. I would recommend the course to all Aalto students. After taking it, you realise how much fun it is to turn your own visions into working devices,' Railio says.
Ville Voipio, Chairman of the Board, VaisalaVilho Väisälä's workshop is a great example of how open-minded innovation and teamwork can be learned through joy and humour.
Joy of learning and experimenting
Vilho Väisälä, the founder of Vaisala Oyj, was an exceptional inventor and one of the pioneers of Finnish high technology. His work was characterised by curiosity, innovation and a desire to experiment – traits which the renewed workshop is built around. ‘Science-based innovation is at the heart of Vaisala, so collaboration with the scientific community has been crucial to us since the company was founded. Vilho Väisälä's workshop is a great example of how open-minded innovation and teamwork can be learned through joy and humour,’ says Vaisala's Chairman of the Board Ville Voipio.
Text: Marjukka Puolakka
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