On February 12th, around 120 students from seven schools visited the Institute for Geoinformatics for the 2nd Mapathon. They received an introduction to OpenStreetMap and mapped 10,000 buildings in a region of Sumatra that was devastated by a severe cyclone last November.

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved a new research project to analyze the link between walking trajectories and eye-movement trajectories. The project, entitled "SPACE-EYE: Spatial and Architectural Evidence from Movement-Aware Eye-Tracking," is led by Prof. Dr. Jakub Krukar. The research will combine mobile eye-tracking and motion data to build a computational framework that models gaze and locomotion together in realistic architectural environments. This has implications for areas interested in modelling how people move through and view space, e.g. in signage planning, or emergency evacuation scenarios.

The "Essen on Wheels" project has achieved 3rd place in the Mobility Award NRW. The award was presented on December 8th by Transport Minister Oliver Krischer as part of Mobility Day NRW. This project, a joint effort of the IFGI and the Institute for Didactics of Geography, involved collecting data on cycling traffic using the senseBox:bike, with the support of dedicated cycling initiatives such as the ADFC Essen e.V. and students from six Essen schools. The project aimed to promote data literacy, climate protection, and education. Running from December 2022 to November 2025, the project was funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation. The €5,000 prize money will now be used to further develop the project. The goal is to establish and expand the project approach to other schools and municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany. We thank everyone who has continuously supported the project and cast their vote!