Researchers' Night 2026 at our faculty was all about COMMUNICATION. On Friday 25 September, the faculty came alive with interactive experiments, lectures, science shows, guided tours and fascinating technology demonstrations. Visitors discovered how people, machines, materials, light and even the cars of the future communicate with one another. This year's event also set a new attendance record, attracting 2,300 visitors to FME.
When engineering speaks
Researchers' Night is a nationwide science outreach event that aims to challenge stereotypes of scientists as reclusive individuals hidden away in laboratories. It shows that researchers are ordinary people whose work has a real impact on our everyday lives – and that they can present it in entertaining and engaging ways.
All the faculty's institutes and student teams contributed to the programme, with communication as the common theme of their activities. Visitors could explore how materials, light and water "speak", how humans and robots understand one another, how pilots communicate with air traffic control, and what signals machines and manufacturing processes send out. There was also our robotic bartender, hands-on soldering and an opportunity to build your own nuclear reactor. Visitors could meet the zero-gravity flight cadets at the Zero-G: Czech Journey to Space stand, try on a spacesuit or see a real rocket built by the Czech Rocket Society.
The Pupek světa science show took place twice during the evening, while visitors could also join guided tours of laboratories at five of the faculty's institutes. The programme featured engaging lectures by experts including Professor Druckmüller, Professor Štětina, Professor Hadaš and Dr Viewegh. Visitors could take pictures at the space-themed photo booth or enjoy the popular view over Brno from the 19th floor of Building A1. A bouncy castle was available for the youngest visitors.
Engineering indoors and outdoors
This year also saw the debut of VUTeráni, a gathering of historic vehicles. The car park in front of Building A1 hosted an impressive collection of classic cars, including the 1924 Zbrojovka Disk, the first car manufactured in Brno, the legendary Tatra 600 Tatraplán, a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am styled after K.I.T.T. from the television series Knight Rider, a Tatra 54/30, and many other beautiful historic cars and motorcycles.
We would like to thank everyone who attended, as well as the students, staff, volunteers and partners who helped prepare the programme and organise the evening.
You can find the complete photo gallery on our Facebook page. VUTeráni also has its own photo album.