To enable students of Riga Technical University (RTU) and Riga Stradins University (RSU) to further develop a prototype air purification and disinfection robot, the universities have signed an agreement on cooperation in the implementation of the course «Vertically Integrated Project» (VIP).
Until now, the VIP has been supported by the Student Innovation Grant Programme, which ended at the end of last year. Recognising the benefits for students and researchers, RTU continues to implement VIP, in which students from different study programmes and levels collaborate on long-term research projects, while strengthening and expanding the research activities of faculty members. «Smart Air Tracker», which is developing a robot prototype, is the only VIP team in which RTU and RSU students and scientists work closely together. By signing the agreement, the universities agree to mutually identify opportunities and collaborate on the VIP course on a mutually beneficial basis. The agreement is for two years.
The «Smart Air Tracker» aims to create an efficient and mobile device for indoor air quality, i.e. with air filtration and disinfection functions. This season, the team intends to test the developed solution in a controlled environment, monitor indoor air quality to assess the concentration of different particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and produce a scientific paper together with VIP mentors. The students are assisted in data collection and processing, research and prototype development by Professor Anatolijs Borodiņecs from the Institute of Heat, Gas and Water Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, RTU, and Senior Researcher Žanna Martinsone from the Institute of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health, RSU.
Universities around the world are implementing the VIP course in their curricula to get students interested in science. RTU has been implementing this activity since 2017, when the first three teams started their activities. Currently, there are seven VIP teams developing research projects in bioenergy, wastewater treatment, robotics, space, sensor technologies, power electronics and indoor air quality. The student teams are interdisciplinary and vertically integrated, i.e. the students represent different study levels, ranging from RTU Engineering High School to PhD studies, which helps the participants to improve each other's knowledge, strengthen cooperation and communication skills, and teamwork skills. Masters and PhD students supervise the work of undergraduate students in a design and research project, which may also be part of the research work of a Masters or PhD student. In the spring semester 2024, the VIP course is implemented at the Institute of Water Systems and Biotechnology in collaboration with the RTU Science and Innovation Centre, which provides quality control and assistance in design and prototype production.
