In December, Russian scientists managed to create a robotic agricultural complex, a unique multi-caliber sniper rifle, a PDA for representatives of the special services and the military, an unmanned aerial vehicle for vertical take-off and landing with an increased flight range, and also for the first time in post-Soviet Russia to build an aircraft plant.
💡 This material is from the cycle “Made in Russia 🇷🇺”, which describes the main domestic inventions, as well as important events in various fields of science and industry in Russia.
A military field mobile device based on KasperskyOS has been developed
💡 In simple words
In Russia, a completely domestic mobile device has been developed, positioned as a pocket personal computer running on KasperskyOS. This OS is devoid of many functions familiar to users, as it is focused on industries with high requirements for cybersecurity. Therefore, such a device is primarily aimed not at the mass consumer, but at representatives of the special services and the military.
👨🔬 In detail
The Aquarius Group (part of the National Computer Corporation) and Kaspersky Lab have developed a completely domestic mobile device, primarily intended for the military and special services. So, in 2019, after changes in the federal law “On the status of military personnel”, the military should not have phones, tablets and other devices with the function of storing information and connecting to the Internet while on alert and on the territory of a combat unit. Developers position their device as a pocket personal computer (PDA) for access through applications to corporate services in a protected mode. One of its elements is IP connections, which are protected by special software.
The device runs on KasperskyOS, which is targeted at industries with high cybersecurity requirements. This OS is not a complete system for the consumer market, as it lacks many of the functions familiar to users. However, the fewer functions in the system, the fewer vulnerabilities. Aquarius plans to release similar devices on Aurora and Android in the future. What processor the PDA runs on is not specified, but the developers claim that the device is “completely Russian.”
An agricultural robotic platform has been developed in St. Petersburg
💡 In simple words
Scientists from St. Petersburg, as part of an international group, have developed a robotic complex (a ground service platform with a drone parked on it) that will help automate various tasks in the agricultural sector (sowing and harvesting, delivering goods, spraying and watering crops). The use of robots will increase safety, increase labor efficiency and reduce the time spent on various types of agricultural work.
👨🔬 In detail
Representatives of the agro-industrial complex are interested in the introduction of robotics to increase labor productivity. The machines have great potential for sowing, harvesting, studying the area and landscape, high-precision fertilization and many other tasks. Experts from the laboratory of autonomous robotic systems of the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, together with scientists from Germany, Serbia and Turkey, have developed an agricultural robotic complex that will help farmers to effectively carry out various types of agricultural work. The use of robots will lead to significant savings in resources and time, increasing the level of income, which is the main task in any economically expensive production. The complex consists of a ground-based autonomous wheeled platform, capable of moving through various types of farmland, and a drone.
The platform is equipped with a sensor system for avoiding obstacles, a navigation system for orientation on the ground, a payload compartment, a power module and a landing pad for a drone. It can be additionally equipped with an irrigation system, spot spraying with fertilizers or a seed sowing mechanism. The drone, on the other hand, performs the task of collecting data for the platform (photos, videos, sensor data), and can also be used to perform agricultural work (for example, to collect fruits). For interaction and control of all components of the “operator-platform-drone” system, special algorithms for local navigation and interaction between robots were developed based on intuitive solutions, for example, using gestures or voice.
Russia has created a unique multi-caliber sniper rifle
💡 In simple words
The unique multi-caliber rifle DXL-5 “Ravager” due to its modular design (barrels can be changed right in battle) allows you to fire cartridges of different calibers, which significantly increases its export potential. In addition, it has better accuracy and firing range than foreign competitors, making it an excellent candidate for combat against enemy sniper units.
👨🔬 In detail
Lobaev Arms has begun testing a unique multi-caliber rifle DXL-5 “Ravager” (export name – Havoc), which is capable of firing both NATO caliber cartridges 12.7 × 99 mm, and Russian – 12.7 × 108 mm. This is achieved thanks to the modular design. Snipers can change barrels right during the battle, depending on the combat mission facing them. At the same time, the “Ravager” has a greater aiming range than the American competitor Barrett (about 2300 meters versus 1800), and also shoots four times more accurately (accuracy of fire – 0.5 angular minutes versus 2). Also, the rifle is equipped with a damping device on the buttstock, which significantly reduces the effect of the rifle’s recoil. And the most interesting thing is that with the help of the “Ravager” the military will test new calibers. Already, four new calibers have been developed, which, in case of successful tests, will be able to further increase the range and accuracy of a sniper rifle.
A super-fast way to manage data is discovered
💡 In simple words
A group of researchers from Russia, the Netherlands and Germany have found a way to store the data of magnetic systems faster and more energy efficiently. Scientists have discovered a new method for controlling the propagation of spin waves and thus have taken an important step towards the creation of new data processing technology in the future. The method is based on the use of ultrashort terahertz light pulses to control the switching on and off of the spin-lattice interaction.
👨🔬 Din detail
With the increase in the volume of stored information, it becomes necessary to develop new methods and technologies for energy-efficient and ultra-fast data processing and storage. Imagine what it would be like if humanity still tried to write terabytes of data to 3.5-inch floppy disks with a capacity of about three megabytes (about 350 thousand of them would be needed to write 1 TB). Therefore, scientists are always in search of new ways to store and record information. For example, in December, a group of researchers from Russia, the Netherlands and Germany discovered a new mechanism for turning on and off the spin-lattice interaction, controlled by ultrashort pulses of terahertz frequency light. It is the interaction of the elementary magnetic moments of electrons (spins) with the lattice that plays the most important role in the process of recording magnetic bits.
It is known that scientists have proposed using antiferromagnetic magnons as data carriers in a magnetic material. They have many advantages, but also a significant disadvantage – weak interaction with the lattice, which makes it difficult to control the propagation of spin waves. It turned out that a terahertz light pulse resonantly interacts with a magnon in an antiferromagnet, cobalt difluoride (CoF2). The researchers believe that the same approach to controlling spin-lattice coupling using terahertz light should work in other magnetic materials, which means that the technology will help solve the problems of magnetic data storage and provide ultra-fast recordings with minimal energy consumption. Perhaps this will lead to the creation of new data processing technology in the future.
The first specialized plant for the production of unmanned aerial vehicles was created in Dubna
The Kronstadt company has created a specialized serial plant of large-size unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of aircraft and helicopter types in Dubna near Moscow. What is important is that this is the first aircraft plant built in Russia after the collapse of the USSR. The UAV production center is a single industrial site with a total area of more than 50 hectares. It includes the production workshops of JSC “Kronshtadt”, the reconstructed buildings of JSC “Dubna Machine-Building Plant named after N. P. Fedorov”, as well as three new workshops – aggregate assembly, final assembly, manufacturing of parts and tooling from composite materials with a paint department.
In Tyumen, a military drone was invented, which is charged from power lines
💡 In simple words
In Tyumen, they came up with a way to increase the flight range of small drones. To do this, drones can be equipped with special clamps, with which they can connect to power lines to charge batteries. The project of such an intelligence apparatus has already been presented to the public.
👨🔬 In detail
The development of new technologies to improve the performance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is one of the main challenges in the modern world. Specialists of the Tyumen Higher Military Engineering Command School have developed a project for a drone capable of charging from power lines. The drone will be a multicopter (an aircraft with several rotor propellers), in the lower part of which there is a disconnectable ring magnetic circuit (current clamp), thanks to which it will be connected to power lines to recharge the battery. The flight duration of modern drones is very limited precisely because of the small capacity of the batteries used in their design. The proposed on-the-fly charging technology can significantly increase the flight time of small drones. This applies to both civilian and military vehicles. For example, the presented drone will be able to penetrate much deeper into the enemy’s territory, I recharge, if necessary, from power lines. At the same time, cameras and sensors will continue to work during charging, that is, the reconnaissance mission will not be suspended.
A unique unmanned aerial vehicle for vertical take-off and landing has been created
💡 In simple words
Experts from the University of Innopolis shared another interesting invention in the field of UAVs in December. They showed a vertical take-off and landing drone with an increased flight range (up to 100 kilometers), which is capable of carrying up to 5 kilograms of payload. Its design uses onboard sensors based on the UAVCAN protocol. In addition, it has an artificial intelligence system that helps control flight and landing. It can be used for a variety of tasks, including area monitoring and cargo transportation.
👨🔬 In detail
Experts from the University of Innopolis have developed a new hybrid of an airplane and a drone, which does not require a runway or a parachute launcher (like conventional aircraft drones) and works longer than its counterparts due to the aerodynamic lift of the wing. Its flight range is estimated at 100 kilometers. It can take on board up to 5 kilograms of payload, while its total weight will be 25 kg. The drone can operate at temperatures ranging from -20 to + 40 ° C. Onboard cameras allow filming of extended objects up to 200 square kilometers with a resolution of 10 cm / pixel in a five-hour flight. An artificial intelligence system is responsible for controlling the UAV, which provides increased accuracy of movement along a given trajectory, overflying obstacles and automatic selection of the landing site.
But the main advantage of this device over its counterparts is the use of on-board sensors based on the UAVCAN protocol, which provides real-time data exchange over CAN, Ethernet and others. This makes it possible to increase the flight time and increases the overall reliability of the device. This UAV can be used to monitor power lines, oil pipelines, forest, water and coastal areas, as well as to transport various equipment (geodetic cameras and boards, cameras for agriculture, cargo dumping devices, meteorological equipment, and so on).
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