The automatic volume dimmer 'NoiseBalancer' is designed to better regulate disturbing noise sources. The idea for this new microchip was developed by (from left to right) Matthias Gürtler (17) and Marcel Breyer (18) from Burggymnasium in Schorndorf. It earned them third place with prize money of 1,000 euros. The students' aim was to enable the TV or music system to switch itself down or mute when a call comes in - "depending on the mode, the DVD player pauses the movie or the volume of the computer, TV or stereo system is turned down," the duo explains.