Women in Science: MAI student spoke about ultrasonic sensor for the hearing impaired and a robotic roach

As part of the project "Kolba – forum and award for women in science and technology" Evgenia Enshina – head of the national branch "Women in the nuclear industry" ("WiN Russia"), leader of the "Women in science and technology" community, founder of the forum and award "KOLBA » – meets interesting women scientists and experts from various fields of science.

This time she met Maria Zolotenkova, Master of Department No. 404 "Design, technology and production of radio electronic equipment", engineer of the research department of Department No. 704 "Information and control systems of aircraft" of Moscow Aviation Institute, an employee of SKB-4 " Signal".

Let's begin with your entry. Why did you decide to go to MAI (Moscow Aviation Institute)? When did you get the desire to do science?

Even at school, I started participating in conferences – it's hard to call them science, but it was my the first step. One of the first projects, around the seventh grade, I had with a chemistry teacher: we investigated the vitamin C in orange juices of various brands, conducted experiments. Probably, after that I liked science, namely the practical research part.

In 2015, I entered the "Biomedical Technologies" bachelor program. First of all, I liked MAI for the atmosphere, no matter how strange it may sound. I came to the Welcome Day and fell in love with the atmosphere. I realized that various interesting projects, perhaps even unusual ones, related not only to aviation, can be implemented here. In this university I will be able to fulfill my desires: to help people and change the world.

Now the atmosphere at the institute, I would say, is inspiring. A lot is developing, the institute helps students with participation in conferences, forums, laboratories are updated. I see an upsurge, especially from the side of applicants, who are now becoming more in the number of applicants for the engineering direction. And in schools now there is an active involvement of children in science.

When did you realize that you want to help people for the first time?

These thoughts have been with me all my life. I wanted to get such a profession so that I could help people. As a result, as it turned out, an engineer, a scientist is one of those professions that has a very strong impact on society: you can discover, create something new that can help and provide the world with useful things.

I also watched a lot of Soviet films, read science fiction. Maybe I was influenced by idealistic ideas about society. I was taught from childhood that I need to start with myself, if I start doing something, perhaps the rest of the world will start too. The world is as we see it, if you look at it from the positive side, will become better.

You have an interesting faculty, but not at all female, what is the reason for your choice of this particular specialty – “Radioelectronics, Infocommunications and Information Security”?

Yes, I entered the master's program in the specialty "Design of radio electronic means", but I really wanted to. I wanted to deepen my knowledge, because during my studies at the institute in the status of a bachelor, I realized that I really like electronics. In my first year, I got into the Student Design Bureau of Institute No. 4 "Radioelectronics, Infocommunications and Information Security". Now I am teaching further education there. I teach students how to solder, learn some practical things, lead students to research and work as an engineer at the same time. 

But I have always been driven by interest, curiosity. Everything somehow goes naturally, I just ask myself questions: what will happen if such an experiment is carried out, what will happen if we offer the team such an idea, how to implement it, how to solve this or that problem.

What is your activity now?

I work as an assistant electronics engineer. I am engaged in the practical side of the project: I create wiring, I work with my hands. I have a small closet where there is a soldering iron. Many are surprised when they open the door and see a girl in a dress with a soldering iron. It breaks social patterns a bit (laughs), but I like it. It is hard for me to work theoretically for a long time, I need practical reinforcement. I like to do something with my own hands, so I always like experimental science, it's nice to physically feel what you've done.

I also teach, it seems to me that this has been going on since childhood. Even at school, I had a choice – to become a teacher or a doctor. These two specialties, in my opinion, have a common paradigm: to be useful to society. As a result, I went into engineering. Now I realized that I want to transfer knowledge – not just retell it, but modify it so that it becomes clear and interesting. I like the inner feeling that in this field I can be useful, I can inspire other people to research, motivate to create something.

When did you start applying the acquired skills practically? Do you remember your first developments?

I started working on developments in the Student Design Bureau. We had a project "Power Bank" on alternative energy sources, with which we performed collectively at the exhibition.

And even before entering the master's program, I had a project with my supervisor, Vasily Valeryevich Egorov. We were engaged in a project of a device for studying rat vocalization. After all, rats communicate not only squeaking, but also via ultrasound, with which they transmit behavioral reactions, looking for cubs. We created the device with colleagues from Sechenov University and even tried to communicate with rats. And now we are continuing to implement this project, by the way, I spoke to him at the Science slam.

All these developments were available due to the Student Design Bureau. This is a wonderful opportunity, especially for those who start doing science, at the beginning of the path, for example, after graduation. It is necessary to have trajectories, vectors that you can follow step by step.

Your development, let's talk about it. This is a device that provides an ultrasonic communication channel for data transmission, right? How did it all start?

This is a continuation of the device project for the study of ultrasonic vocalizations. We have a question: what other applications can this device have? In any project, we try to consider different sides, so to speak, alternative use cases. This time I had an interest in assistance devices for visually impaired people, and this idea was combined with existing developments.

We want to use the device all over the city, especially at those points where navigation is needed. It will help the visually impaired to cross the road or understand their location. If a special ultrasonic receiver is mounted in a cane and ultrasonic transmitters are hung somewhere, then a person can hear information about the place using headphones. If each traffic light is equipped with a small box that will work with ultrasound, then the visually impaired will be able to find out whether red and green are lit. This will simplify the task and help you move around the city safely.

When we get out of the subway, we see a map that shows the radius of the nearest streets. It can be duplicated with ultrasound, so that it does not shout to the whole street, but is broadcast only to those people who need it.

Ultrasound is chosen because the FM line is busy, and this channel has free frequencies on which this project can be implemented.

What stage is the project at now?

Under development, we are currently working out the details and in the near future we plan to conduct a full-fledged experiment, find channels through which it can be implemented in the city. We want to offer this project to various urban planning structures in Moscow, but first we will draw up a business plan. And, if everything works out, we will start implementing it in one of the districts of the city, for example, near MAI (Moscow Aviation Institute).

Sounds interesting, tell us what the device looks like.

We still have a dummy. Perhaps it will change. We even tried to make a case for the device on a 3D printer. Part of the device for the user has the form of a small tube, the electronics and headphones are connected. Although electronics can be mounted anywhere, you can make a belt box, you can mount it in a cane. And the devices located in the city, i.e. the second part, has the form of a horn.

To be honest, it looks very simple, but it is compact and moisture-proof, so that atmospheric phenomena do not affect in any way and it is convenient in the future. In practice, it should be like this: a device on a pole, say, from above or from the side, spreads signals, when you enter the signal zone, you can hear what is being said.

What other advantages can this device have?

It is possible to make a communication system for divers using ultrasound, because it has a fairly good conductivity in water, especially at short distances. It is suitable for exploring underwater caves, where eye contact with each other disappears, and an ultrasonic signal can really help people communicate. This device can be especially useful in emergency or dangerous conditions. Or for biological research. For example, there is such a problem - wasps make nests in an airplane that has been left in a hangar for a long time. They are very difficult to find, but they can significantly affect the operation of on-board electronics or hydraulic, pneumatic tubes. These insects communicate through ultrasound, that is, to search for or to drive them away, you also need to use ultrasound. It turns out that our development can be used for a wide range.

Is your development unique or are there analogues in the world?

Our development is unique in that we use simple analog-to-digital elements without going into complex circuits. Our goal is to create a simple, cost-effective device. If we are talking about research on animals, insects, then all devices of this type are usually more complicated and more expensive.

Our device is cost-effective, which allows it to be used on a mass scale. There are certainly alternative works, if we talk about the research aspects of the project. But in terms of implementation, as a transmission line for divers, for visually impaired people, we have not seen such alternatives yet, in Russia for sure, we have not observed them in the international format either.

Maria, how often do you participate in conferences, how do you feel about such scientific publications?

At school, I participated a lot in conferences, less during my undergraduate studies, at exhibitions I presented collective developments mainly. Now, while studying for a master's degree, I began to speak more often. In autumn, she was honored to attend a scientific conference in the "Science slam" format at the MAI (Moscow Aviation Institute) and in Nizhny Novgorod in a regional format. I think conferences are very good, especially for those who are engaged in science. First, it is an opportunity to present your project to other people who can look at it with a fresh eye, notice what the scientist himself does not see. Second, answering questions, you immediately begin to understand some things that did not occur to you before, especially when you are a young scientist. Third, it develops and forms the skill of expressing your thoughts clearly, logically and to the point. For me, conferences are time points, certain deadlines for the development of a project, if you plan your project according to conferences, it moves well. When there is no framework by which time the study needs to be completed, it can take a long time.

Do you think young scientists are now interested in the development of science?

Now there is a strong rise in the motivation of scientists who want to do science for the sake of humanity. I observe this in the Student Design Bureau, where I teach. I see how students come, how they want to study, do something useful. At the regional stage of the "Science slam" there was a girl engaged in cancer research, her desire to help people was very much inspiring. There was also a girl with a very interesting aquaponics project (artificial fish farming as an ecological alternative to fishing).

Young scientists want to help not only humanity, but also the planet — to solve environmental issues, to engage in healthcare.

Do you think it is necessary to introduce mentoring programs into training?

It seems to me that these are important programs for both students and teachers. The older generation needs this for the transfer of critical knowledge and training of personnel. It also helps teachers to integrate into the student environment and feel what the students care about. We are developing this in the Student Design Bureau.

In your opinion, are there many women in science?

When I was at school, it seemed to me that women in science are either very famous, like Maria Sklodowska-Curie, or there are very few of them. When I started studying, it turned out that there are a lot of women in science, especially now. I don't even know who is more, men or women.

According to my observations, it is easier for women to solve problems with non-trivial approaches, there are certain qualities, for example, perseverance, willingness to work longer on the task, that is typical to us. But I believe that there is no gender in science, everyone can do science, the main thing is that a person is motivated, wants to do and there are no obstacles.

What feminine qualities can contribute to advancement in science? 

In my opinion, what I mentioned above: perseverance, patience, attentiveness, including to details that are not always noticeable, the ability to anticipate, to feel intuitively. They say that women think from the particular to the general. Women's logic helps to predict what can go wrong.

But women are also different: someone is more attentive, someone is more creative, besides, I think we have developed a sense of belonging – a desire to help. When there are women in the team, it motivates the team better, some kind of order appears.

I am driven by a spiritual impulse. It seems to me that in such professions as a scientist, people have a desire to change something, somehow influence, do something useful for society.

What are your future plans in the professional direction?

There is a project for the Sechenov Institute - this is a "robotic roach" device for laboratory work on the study of nervous activity. The device is a board that connects to a cockroach, sending nerve impulses that will make it move in some direction. I've been longing to do this for quite a time, explore existing developments in this direction and do something new. Perhaps it will be a device for studying the nervous activity of animals. It is still under development.

If you could create any device in this world, what would you do?

I've always been interested in medicine. Now it is for me as an additional activity, a hobby. I would create a device for the treatment of cancer, and, most likely, it's not about medicinal, but about therapeutic, maybe with an effect on bones. If it were possible to make a device that acts with various radiations, something multifunctional.

Sometimes, after studying for five years at the university, students do not choose their direction for further professional development – what do you think is the main reason for changing the trajectory?

When a person enters, he does not fully understand what awaits him. He may represent one thing, but in fact everything will be different. Let's say a person enrolled in an electronics engineer to assemble devices, but received a lot of theory, especially in the first courses. This is demotivating, but it is no longer possible to change the trajectory and delve into a more interesting area. Either early career guidance is not good enough, or there is a low involvement of teachers in the last courses – there are enough factors. Now there is an interesting direction in some departments: after the first two courses, you can choose to deepen in a related specialty.

From your point of view, is science a collective matter or a single person? Which camp do you belong to?

There are individual geniuses, loners, but they are rare. I believe that science is a collective work, especially now. It is difficult to do something alone without team - different vision helps to view the object better. Let's add here mutual assistance, mutual motivation. I'm a collective person, I don't really like to do something alone, it's more pleasant for me to be a part of something bigger than to be some kind of individual player.

If we consider science as a creative process, what style of art would you refer to?

Interesting question. Probably into impressionism. The avantgarde is very abstract, and impressionism is about the emotional expression of reality, just like science. We see something in reality and want to influence it. Science is also inextricably linked with reality, we influence the reality.

What are your plans for the future?

By the way, a very relevant question for me. Now we need to decide how to go on: to graduate or not. So far, I'm leaning towards a positive answer to this question. I like to do science, you can develop in different directions: on the academic ladder or in the applied vector.

If you had the opportunity to send a "time capsule" into space, what would you put in it for the future generation, for their knowledge of science now?

Interesting, I've never thought about it in this context. Probably, it would be recorded data about modern science, some kind of bag with trace elements: microcontrollers, resistors, microcircuits – I'm an electronics engineer after all!