From experiment for Czech astronaut to flushing robot. Thirteen technologies from BUT are heading to AMPER
A total of 13 exhibits from Brno University of Technology (BUT) are heading to this year’s international electrical engineering trade fair AMPER. Among them are an experiment for the mission of a Czech astronaut, equipment for a meteorological satellite, and the Freya robotic rover. BUT startups will present smart energy management, tools for practical electrical engineering education, and a robotic water-network flushing device. The BUT stand will also showcase the student formula, the activities of the Czech Semiconductor Centre, and much more. All of this will be on display starting March 17 at the BVV Trade Fairs Brno in the section AMPER Innovation Hub in Pavilion P.
Space technologies for Earth orbit
Last year and the year before, BUT technologies won the highest award at this prestigious event – the Golden Amper. In 2024, the unique Smartbox for smart measurement and load control in energy networks succeeded. Last year, the expert jury awarded the revolutionary FRASCAN II spectrometer. This year, the 3MI instrument aims to follow these successes. It is part of the MetOp-SG satellite created within a project of the ESA agency and the EUMETSAT institute. From orbit, the satellite ensures the flow of important data for global weather forecasting and climate monitoring. Thanks to the 3MI device, the planet can be observed beyond the visible spectrum and in previously unseen detail. The instrument can distinguish types of aerosols, track dust transport, air pollution, and changes in atmospheric composition. The results contribute to more accurate weather forecasts, air-quality monitoring, and climate research. “It is an incredibly strong feeling when I see how our electronics reliably operate 817 kilometers above the Earth and help us better understand our planet,” said Lukáš Fujcik, head of the team from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication at BUT (FEEC BUT), which developed the device over eight years.
Under the name ICARUS ARMOR Next Gen lies one of the thirteen officially confirmed scientific experiments prepared for a flight to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the planned mission of Czech astronaut Aleš Svoboda. The goal is to collect data for a personalized AI digital twin that will in the future predict astronauts’ cognitive performance based on a continuous record of previously experienced stress events. “Visitors to the exhibition will be able to try a model version of the experiment. We will present the latest set of NASA cognitive tests developed for high-performance astronauts, complemented by simultaneous monitoring of biomedical signals (ECG, EMG, ENoG) and analysis of stress markers from saliva samples,” said Vratislav Šálený from FEEC BUT, the scientific lead of the experiment, which involves five additional academic and industrial partners alongside BUT.
Another exhibit will also represent research and development of space applications from FEEC BUT. It is a satellite model with ion propulsion (so-called Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion – ABEP), which can use a practically unlimited resource for movement in space – the residual atmosphere at very low Earth orbit (around 200 km). These particles (molecules and atoms) can be ionized and used to propel satellites.
Activities of university teams
Brno Mars Rover focuses on the development of autonomous robots for competitions with a space theme. At the fair, team members will present Freya, a robotic rover designed for autonomous driving in unknown terrain, with which they advanced to the finals of a global robotics competition last year.
Team YSpace develops CubeSat-type satellites for real space missions. These small modular satellites with standardized dimensions play an increasingly important role in research, technological development, and education thanks to significantly lower costs compared to traditional satellites. “We will introduce visitors to the CubeSat concept, our current missions KOSTKA and CIMER, as well as the individual phases of satellite development. They will learn what challenges arise when operating equipment in orbit and why CubeSats are important for innovation and education. An interactive model of a real CubeSat will also be available,” said team leader Šimon Sloboda.
TU Brno Racing focuses on building a single-seat racing monopost for participation in the Formula Student competition. Last season the team celebrated its 15th anniversary and added the latest model called Dragon e5 to its fleet. It is the first vehicle with all-wheel drive produced by the team. “At our stand, we will show not only the exterior of the car but also allow visitors to look into the cockpit and examine individual parts of the electric drivetrain. You will see a wheel unit with a motor integrated directly into the car’s upright, a frequency inverter, and control units. You will also learn how the design and manufacturing of key components takes place,” invited team leader Anna Piarová.
The BUT stand will also feature the Czech Semiconductor Centre (CSC), which began operating in Brno last year. In addition to BUT, five other partners contributed to its establishment, and its mission is to strengthen the Czech Republic’s position in the semiconductor sector. At the fair, it will present mainly to partners and interested parties from the commercial sector the range of services it offers, including mentoring, internships, assistance with product design, and access to pilot production lines. The CSC exhibition will also include a presentation by another student association, SPICE, which will demonstrate the production path from silicon to a finished chip.
Startup innovations from BUT
The project ELEDU, created by a team of developers from FEEC BUT, aims to contribute to higher-quality teaching of electrical engineering subjects at secondary schools and universities. This will be supported by Elabrix tools for practical electrical engineering education. “We designed modern educational kits that help pupils and students discover electrical engineering with their own hands instead of only watching it passively,” explained Matej Kadlíček, CEO of the company.
Another BUT startup Wattee, also originating from FEEC BUT, will present smart energy management, which connects production, consumption, charging, and batteries into one autonomous system. The tool can optimize the control of energy flows in real time in residential, corporate, or industrial complexes. In addition, the company will present two types of electric-vehicle charging stations – W:Mini and W:Single.
VUT spin-off VODA BRNO has its roots at the Faculty of Civil Engineering BUT. At the fair, it will introduce visitors to an innovative technology designed for cleaning water distribution networks through controlled flushing and testing fire hydrants without interrupting the supply of drinking water to consumers. It is a fully automated measuring and flushing robot Astacus, developed at BUT and patented in 23 European countries.
Other exhibits from Brno University of Technology
The X-ray Computed Tomography Laboratory CTLAB CEITEC VUT will offer two exhibits – a CT Demonstrator with the supporting structure of a test CubeSat, whose development it participated in, and a holographic projector that will display CT data of an almost two-meter-long electric Jetsurf. Detailed data with a voxel resolution of 150 μm will show a battery module containing 266 lithium-ion cylindrical cells with a diameter of 18 mm.
Among the exhibits will also be a magnetic probe with ultra-high sensitivity at high temperature from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering BUT, based on a graphene Hall structure. Hall probes are crucial in applications such as electronic compasses, current sensors, and motion detectors, but their performance often decreases at high temperatures.
BUT representatives will also take part in the professional program AMPER STAGE. Jan Hajný from FEEC BUT will present the topic Cybersecurity and Quantum Computing, and Pavel Mašek from the same faculty will participate in a panel discussion on the occasion of the introduction of the Open 5G Hub Brno project, which is being launched at the Fair Trade Brno.
Source: vut.cz/en
| Responsible person | Ing. et Ing. arch. Jana Němcová |
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