FME celebrates its 125th anniversary: Historical photographs come to life thanks to artificial intelligence

Today, August 19, 2025, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Brno University of Technology (FME BUT) celebrates 125 years since its founding. To mark this special anniversary, we have prepared a unique promotional video in which historical photographs from our archives are brought to life using artificial intelligence technology.

Exactly 125 years ago, on August 19, 1900, the Department of Machine Construction was officially established at the Brno University of Technology – the predecessor of today's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Today, FME is the second oldest and, in terms of student numbers, the second largest faculty at BUT. Generations of talented students and top scientists educated by the faculty have shaped and continue to shape the future not only of the engineering field, but of the entire domestic industry.

The faculty is now commemorating its anniversary with a new promotional video, created in collaboration with graphic designer Pavol Feješ and creative studio Morning Pug, which has also produced several campaigns for BUT. "In collaboration with the creators, we decided to use artificial intelligence to breathe life into historical photographs from the beginning of the last century. At the same time, we didn't want to just look back at the past as part of the anniversary, so in the second part of the video, we show how far mechanical engineering and the faculty itself have developed. And because innovation is the driving force behind progress, which has often been and continues to be driven by our experts and students, the whole idea behind this year's celebrations is based on the slogan: Shaping the future for 125 years," explains Kateřina Růžičková, head of the FME marketing department.

The video can be found on the official FME YouTube channel and on social media (an English version is also in preparation). If you would like to learn more about the history of the faculty, you can take a look at the publication 125xFME, which describes the development of the faculty, its symbols, and its deans. You can read about our campus, the historic turbine, the statue of a female student, and the history of the Engineering Stairs race. You can view the electronic version of the publication or download it here (CZE).

The highlight of this year's celebrations will be Researchers' Night at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering on September 26, 2025, to which the faculty cordially invites everyone.

More information is also available at www.fme.vutbr.cz/125.