Writing a master’s thesis at ALTEN

Tell us about yourself

My name is Hoang Thanh, I am 27 years old and originally from Vietnam. In my free time, I enjoy photography and programming, and I also like to cook Italian food.

How did you come to ALTEN?

I started working at ALTEN as a working student in August 2022 and then moved on to write my master’s thesis here. I have been working full-time at ALTEN since then.

What technologies interest you?

I like technology in general. I also like to integrate it into my life, for example in smart homes. But I’m also interested in ChatGPT – it can be used in various fields of application. For example, it offers the opportunity to increase productivity. However, it is important to know how to use it effectively to benefit from it and use it as a supporting tool.

What new things have you learned recently?

I’ve learned how to do the right things and do things right, especially in connection with my master’s thesis and literature research.

What is the topic of your master’s thesis?

My research focuses on the potential of integrating the Rust programming language with the adaptive AUTOSAR platform. Following on from the successful PiDrone project in C+, we experimented to see if a Rust-based drone would work in a similar way. This also provided a valuable opportunity to compare the performance of Rust and C++ in identical applications and functions. In our tests, we found that Rust’s performance is comparable to that of C++. Our goal was to evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of transitioning from C++ to Rust within AUTOSAR applications.

Why did you choose this topic?  

AUTOSAR is an interesting topic, but Rust has recently become even more attractive to developers and has also attracted a lot of attention in embedded development due to its great memory management system, which can prevent most dangerous runtime memory errors already during the compilation phase.

Its potential for improving safety is enormous. My curiosity about Rust’s capabilities and the user experience when integrating it with a common automotive industry standard led me to choose this project.

What was the biggest challenge for you?  

It was challenging to transfer the drone’s functionalities from a C++ version to a Rust version while ensuring that the new application retained the same logical algorithm and functionality. There are a few things that are handled differently in Rust. In addition, the demonstration version only provides an example in a simulation environment. However, creating the image for the real hardware requires a lot of effort to adapt the drone and get it to fly.

AUTOSAR is very specific; you can’t just google problems; you must work on them intensively and ask others for help if necessary.

What is important for your daily work? What skills should you have? 

It is important to have programming skills, but also the ability to learn independently and motivate yourself.

What advice would you give to other students in the same situation?

If you want to write your thesis in cooperation with a company, I recommend working as a student trainee at that company beforehand. This allows you to familiarize yourself with the workflows and processes. Working with a company is not only good for gaining a foothold in the job market but also offers the opportunity to apply theory in practice.

For my specific field, this means that AUTOSAR is a widely used platform in the automotive industry. Being familiar with it is a big advantage for your career in this industry. If you are interested and would like to work on similar projects in the field of adaptive AUTOSAR, you should first complete an internship or work as a student trainee at ALTEN to expand your skills, as this requires in-depth knowledge of C++, Yocto, and the AUTOSAR platform, which are taught by ALTEN as part of the adaptive boot camp.