LETI: Future Inventors and Entrepreneurs: LETI Students Among the Winners of the UMNIK Program
On September 23, the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University hosted the award ceremony for the winners of the fall selection of the UMNIK program by the Foundation for Assistance to Innovations for the year 2020.
Among the 80 authors of the best projects were young researchers of the St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI,” who received grants of 500 thousand rubles for two years.
In his greeting speech, Vladimir Knyaginin, Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg, noted the special role of innovative activity in St. Petersburg economic development, congratulated the winners, and expressed the hope that the award will become an incentive for their further achievements: “Innovations are the knowledge combined with some practical result. But knowledge always comes first. That’s why it’s important to give necessary support to the innovative science at universities and research institutes.”
“LETI traditionally actively supports young researchers, enterprising and talented people who strive not only to gain knowledge but also to apply it. It is gratifying that their number grows every year. Innovation project contests, in particular the UMNIK program, are a good school for those who see themselves as creators and entrepreneurs. Students go through an acceleration program, get the skills to create and implement an innovative project. Eventually, they win grants that allow them to test their idea, fine-tune it, and decide whether to move on to an innovative business or cooperate with industrial partners. I warmly congratulate the young researchers of LETI on their victory and wish them success in their innovative activities!”
Viktor Tupik, Vice-Rector for Research at LETI
Alexandra Bolshakova, a graduate student of the Department of Laser Measurement and Navigation Systems at LETI, is implementing a project of a small-size inertial system for diagnostics of train tracks. The development will increase the number of track measurements without the need to change the train schedule. The technology will make it possible to find defects and eliminate them promptly. “Our system can be installed on regularly running trains. Thus, more trains will run along the same track, which will make it possible to increase the examination accuracy due to gathered statistics,” says Alexandra.
Konstantin Chaika, a graduate student of the Department of Software Engineering and Computer Applications at LETI, is creating an online platform that will allow remote debugging and launching algorithms for driverless vehicles. “Anyone with only a computer and the Internet will be able to remotely access a real robot, run their program on it, and get online broadcasting and a detailed result,” says the developer.
Evgeny Shalugin, a first-year master’s student of the Faculty of Computer Science and Technology at LETI, is developing a microcomputer that will make diagnosing ear diseases less expensive and at the same time more prompt and accurate. “The principle is somewhat similar to a hearing aid. The canal part of the earmold with the microphone will be inserted inside the ear canal. Further, the microphone will record noises, which will be received and processed by a computer with special software. In the end, all the results of noise registration and processing will be displayed on the doctor’s monitor, who will make further decisions based on the objective noise data,” Evgeny describes how the device works.