Junior Research Engineer Javier Peñuela presented two projects: Tutor.GPT and Plantery, and Master's student Issatay Tokmurziyev told about the project devoted to the development of a control interface for a virtual drone using eye movements.

Javier Peñuela, Junior Research Engineer from the Energy Conversion Physics and Technology Group (Skoltech Centre for Digital Engineering)

"Plantery – Led by Anna Shkromada, also a Junior Research Engineer and PhD student from the Energy Conversion Physics and Technology Group. Plantery aims to address the high cost and low availability of greens in Russia's remote regions. The startup leverages modular vertical farming systems optimized for such environments.

Tutor.GPT – A startup focused on replacing traditional tutors with large language models. Tutor.GPT is currently developing a language practice service and an educational platform designed to help children with school programs in a safe, affordable, and convenient manner.

Both startups were awarded the "Student Startup" grant from FASIE this year. During the Sirius Congress of Young Scientists, Plantery garnered significant attention and received positive feedback from the scientific community, investors, and representatives of regional investment funds".

Issatay Tokmurziyev, Master's student ‘Engineering Systems’ from the Intelligent Space Robotics Lab. (Skoltech Center for Digital Engineering)

"My project focuses on designing a control interface for a virtual drone using eye movements. For instance, up indicates takeoff, down means landing, and looking right or left controls the drone’s rotation. To fly forward or backward, I simply widen or narrow my eyes. The project was presented as an example of an eye control interface, as I can control the entire drone with just nine commands from my right eye. This approach is not limited to drones but can be applied to any robotic system, including collaborative robots, which I have already successfully implemented. 

Why is this necessary? In general, it’s to assist people with disabilities, such as those who are paralyzed, have no arms, or are otherwise disabled. The goal is to help them interact with their environment using their eyes instead of their hands".