RTU Leading Researcher Dr.sc.ing. Inga Ļašenko received Award of 2021 Year in Education and Research from Latvian Federation of Security and Defense Industries

The Leading Researcher at Riga Technical University’s, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Transport and Aeronautics; Institute of Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering, Department of Theoretical mechanics and material resistances, Leader of the Mechanics and Biotextile Research Laboratory, Dr.sc.ing. Inga Ļašenko received Award of 2021 Year in Education and Research upon the theme “Textile material that reduces infrared and ultraviolet radiation in the thermal spectrum”.

As a result of interdisciplinary international cooperation between RTU, Mechanics and Biotextile Research Laboratory (accredited laboratory), Institute of Biology the University of Latvia (Laboratory of Environmental Genetics) and Nature Research Center, Lithuania (Laboratory of Molecular Ecology), working together in several international projects have been developed and tested effective, relatively cheap and rapid biotesting methods for determining the effects of biotextiles and their components, including nanoparticles, on cells and organisms.
A group of methods for determining the protective properties of textiles against the effects of electromagnetic fields of various wavelengths also has been developed.
“In modern combat using unmanned aerial vehicles, infrared radiation makes it very easy to detect living objects in the forest. We have managed to create a high quality fabric that is invisible under infrared and heat absorbing video surveillance equipment.
A creative and scientific approach to the study of the problem is based on knowledge of textile technology, physics (optical properties of materials), chemistry of textile fibers. This material effectively hides living objects from the thermal cameras. In our sample, we made an universal product - a sleeping bag, poncho, camouflage suit and stretcher. But most importantly, it effectively hides from surveillance of the unmanned aerial vehicles, equipped with infrared video surveillance devices.
The product fully meets the requirements for the development of certain protective properties, i.e. an improvement has been achieved: the temperature difference between the environment (objects) and the masked object not exceed 2oC”, - says Inga Ļašenko.
Currently, Mechanics and Biotextile Research Laboratory (RTU) has the potential to develop the biotextiles almost any degree of complexity, including nanocomposite biotextiles, as well as to prepare a scientifically based expert opinion about the quality of biotextiles based on European Standards.
Cooperation with leading European institutes for the biotextiles development (Schulung Grundlagen der Textiltechnik am Institut für Textiltechnik (RWTH) Aachen, Germany; Centexbel, the scientific and technical centre of the Belgian Textile industry; University of Rouen Normandy - UFR Science and Technology, France; University of Rome «La Sapienza», Faculty of Engineering, Rome, Italy; AITEX, Instituto Tecnológico Textil / Textile Research Institute, Spain, and others) provides an opportunity to develop innovative technologies and promote Latvian developments in the field of biotextiles in Europe and the World.
The Award of 2021 Year in Education and Research area from the Latvian Federation of Security and Defense Industries is awarded by an interdisciplinary jury, composed of representatives of the Latvian Federation of Security and Defense Industries, Latvian Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Education and Science.

With the financial support of the Riga 2014 Foundation, within the framework of project Amber Road: Towards the Future of Latvia in the World a scientific expedition along the ancient amber road was organized.

Since ancient time amber was the reason for traveling, adventures, meeting with strangers and Exchange of information, which always leads to the augmentation of beauty and wisdom. As well as the team of Rīga 2014 for four years trying to do the same, creating adventure and educational serial "Northern side" („Ziemeļu puse”). Therefore, on October 29, the creative team of Riga 2014 and „Vides Filmu Studija” (VFS) will hit the road, in order to verify, that no it would be so that cornerstone of Baltic Region civilizations made of succinite which is scientific name of amber. The team will go through the ancient Amber route to rediscover this material, which every Latvian considers every as purest symbol of Latvianness, to learn it in different aspects - the magic, medical, economic, geological, technological, chemical, gastronomic, linguistic and symbolic.
This will be the first expedition along the new Amber Route in the European Capital of Culture year project. The members of the eight-day expedition made their way from Prague to Zurich, a total of more than 1 700 kilometers, crossing seven countries: the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Vienna ---> Olomouc ---> Brno ---> Breclav-Petronell-Carmuntum ---> Bernstein ---> Sopron ---> Savaria ---> Maribor ---> Ptuj ---> Ljubljana ---> Zurich

The expedition team will explore the presence of Baltic amber and its influence in these countries and will establish contacts for new cooperation projects. Expedition members will achieve it by meeting renowned scientists, knowledgeable museum curators, amber research enthusiasts and, simply very interesting people.
The members of the expedition will be Vita Timermane-Moora, curator of the Rīga 2014 Amber Vein chapter, Rīga Technical University researcher Inga Ļašenko and the creative team from TV programme „Nordic Style” („Ziemeļu puse”) – presenters Marta Selecka and Gustavs Terzens, as well as cameraman Valdis Celmiņš. In the content of the project the main focus will be on the searching of actual proof of the new Amber Route, confirmation historical hypotheses and outlining perspectives for restoring of cultural and economic cooperation of the north-south axis. The main idea of the project is to examine long-time entrenched stereotypes about amber as archaic cultural and historical relics and the creation of a completely new image of identity of amber and Latvia.
As far as ancient European trade routes go, researchers and historians cite the Amber Route as being in the ‘top division’. Many historic manuscripts on eras as far back as the Stone and Bronze ages attest to amber being the most valuable currency of its time, but texts about the Roman Empire are a particularly rich source of ancient testimony to the significance of the Amber Route. Chemical analysis of amber can pinpoint the site of its origin and it is now understood that Baltic amber was found both in Tutankhamun’s tomb and the Seal of Solomon.
A number of expeditions are planned to explore the ancient Amber Route and they will be compiled in a TV series to be broadcast in the spring of 2014. The report of this expedition will be published on www.jlutechnologies.lv.