Head of Laboratory: Leading Researcher, Associate Professor Dr. sc. ing. Inga Ļašenko
Pulka iela 3, Rīga
+371 67089631
Biotextile Research Laboratory potential
The Biotextile Research Laboratory was established in 2008. (RTU, MLĶF, BBI, BTMZPL head Dr. sc. ing. Inga Ļašenko). In accordance with the decision of the Senate of Riga Technical University of January 26, 2015 (protocol No. 586), the Biotextile Research Laboratory was added to the Institute of Biomedicine Engineering and Nanotechnologies of the Faculty of Transport and Mechanical Engineering.
In 2018, Dr. sc. ing. Inga Ļašenko, the head of the laboratory, received training at the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Lincoln, USA) and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University (Stanford, USA) with the aim of developing bio-textiles and bio-mechanics at RTU.
In 2019 laboratory has changed its development direction and title to Biotextile Research Laboratory (MBZL) and it was included in Institute of Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering FMETA. (Decision of the Senate, RTU Senate session of October 28, 2019, protocol No. 633). The implementation of the MBZL development plan is coordinated with the strategy of Riga Technical University 2014-2020 and corresponds to the priority direction «Materials, Processes and Technologies» of Riga Technical University.
Biotextile Research Laboratory has a long-term strategic plan to establish a Center of Excellence for Biotextiles in the Baltic region for comprehensive research and development of biotextiles based on cooperation between Riga Technical University, University of Latvia, Nature Research Center (LT), University of Tartu Estonia (EST), on the one hand, and the Department of Materials Science, University of Tampere (Tampere, Finland), Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen University, Aachen (Germany), University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Mechanics and Materials the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) (Lincoln, USA) and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University (Stanford, USA), on the other hand.
MBZL laboratory is located in Pulka street 3, Riga, LV-1007, Latvia; total area of laboratory - 123.1 m2. MBZL is located in a renewed building.
MBZL is active in both science and the study process.
MBZL has about 70 publications, 11 patents (two international), 1 scientific monograph (Monograph is accepted by the Library of Congress, USA). MBZL coordinates international scientific and training projects.
MBZL laboratory has developed project №. KC-PI-2020/34, PVS 4318: «Breakthrough Technology for Innovative and Forward-looking Textile Materials Reducing Infrared Radiation in the Thermal Spectral Range, that Provide Protection Against Drone Surveillance».
Masking a warm body, especially in the dark, became a very serious military problem with the advent of a new robotic surveillance tools (drones equipped with multi-spectrum camera, etc.). Excess heat creates a wide range of infrared (IR) radiation from the outer surface of the camouflage suit. The problem of neutralizing excess thermal radiation from the surface of a camouflage suit has not yet been fully solved, therefore the theme of this project is actual for Latvia and Europe.
This primarily applies to human protective devices (ensuring the safety of human life), as well as camouflage devices (both for a serviceman and military equipment). In these cases innovative solutions are required.
For this research Head of Biotextile Research laboratory Leading Researcher, Assoc. Professor Dr. sc. ing. Inga Ļašenko received 2021 Award in Education and Research of the Latvian Federation of Security and Defense Industries.