Events

Skolkovo Industrial Park as Inventors' El Dorado!

V.A.Elin, Candidate of Engineering, Head of DO-RA Project

I read attentively comments of bloggers on DO-RA Project and made a grievous conclusion: most of them did not believe in its success. Answering them, I'd like to note that all expenses related to DO-RA development were paid by the inventor, surely, after payment of 13% individual income tax -  There is no catch. Moreover, the idea and patents originated in the mind of the inventor, who failed to lose the knowledge got in an engineering higher school, rather than in Skolkovo. But let's talk about Skolkovo and reasons attracted me there.  First of all, I had to go to Skolkovo, because intelligent young people, active and creative middle aged experts and venerable scientists who have already reached intellectual perfection (Nobel Prize winners, etc.) are gotten together there in various clusters.  In such environment, an active person produces sufficiently more than when discussing innovations at leisure while watching TV or chatting in Web. 

Finally, I've selected Skolkovo by a number of reasons. Primarily, there is huge professional and intellectual potential of our future already laid in Skolkovo. Secondly, Skolkovo provides for tax benefits for R&D and facilitates commercialization of inventories (your company pays 14% tax, rather than 72% one). Thirdly, largest international corporations have already obtained accreditation in Skolkovo and they are our potential investors. There, you have companions to discuss ways for promoting your projects. Fourthly, there you can get real grants to finance interesting innovative projects. Such funds a Skolkovo resident may use for its invention, as well as for execution of Russian and foreign patents, for R&D and development of its own projects. But you should work hard to get the grant - 5 Russian and 5 foreign experts will evaluate you idea before you may receive funding.  

Now, let's talk about DO-RA itself. It is not a product of image editing or a fake, as some blogger-minded lemmings think.  It is the serious and rather costly project of developing the unique device - DO-RA mobile dosimeter/radiometer on the basis of mobile/smart phones with the unique radiation sensor. Patent clearance of the utility model indicates that patent agencies of 148 countries did not register such device by June 24, 2011. You may claim that a similar thing was discovered by archaeologists on cave walls in the Gobi Desert, but the patent agency has not paid any attention to this fact.  In any case, the device is original. You can find DO-RA competitors in the Web that were created approximately at the same time. E.g., R&D activities are carried out in the USA, Japan and possibly in China.  The leader will be determined by regional patents I have applied for in the above and some other countries. 

How will DO-RA operate and be powered, etc.? As for our team, the ideal device developed by the end of 2011 at the level of design documentation should be integrated into mobile/smart phones as an on-board system.    In such case, there will be no need for plug-in adaptors. But words are faster than deeds. The first DO-RA modification provided for communication through USB or mini-USB ports. It is this solution that is shown at the presentation with IPhone-4. This is my own phone, and it is in such way that I drafted the first DO-RA engineering diagram for designers.

 But most mobile/smart phone manufacturers restrict access to its firmware by licensing developers and using special programs.  You must have your own portfolio of designs, topologies and applications, etc. to get such licenses.

But a real Russian hero always returns through the window after being thrown away through the door. Therefore, failing to get the licenses, we went on board of most mobile devices through audio port for headphones. The use of this port doesn't require any licensing. Just do not insert a screwdriver or a nail in it - that is the only restriction.  You may develop and test your solutions, as well as find errors of phone manufacturers and communicate them to their mail robots. Thus, we find an error in one of the latest models of a stylish smart phone. The error of audio channel was detected, while we were developing DO-RA software. We duly notified the support service and received polite request "to make and to mail a screenshot (!) of the detected (audio!) fault."  Have you ever tried to wipe an optical axis with cloth wetted with alcohol?

Such innovations and experiments with DO-RA took over 2 months. Finally, by now we developed DO-RA emulators for  iOS,  MacOS, JavaME, RIM Blackberry, Android, Windows, Linux, etc., which provide for one-touch transformation of an emulator to an operating pre-production model.  They cover most mobile/smart phones, notebooks, netbooks, tablets and key program platforms. So far, DO-RA device is connected to audio port -  you know why.  We found simple standard solution for its powering and miniaturization just as that used in hands-free devices. Compact and rather powerful (up to 100 mA-h) Li-Pol batteries provide for up to a few days of DO-RA operation. Generally, we have not used any extraordinary solutions.  You may do it yourself with a soldering iron, radio kit and your fantasy. Note that validity of experiment requires the use of hundreds of various advanced mobile/smart phones, notebooks and tablets.  All that you may get from your friends... Be careful not to damage the devices or else you'll destroy your friendship.

Let's talk on DO-RA accuracy. Since initially the device was planned to be used as a consumer gadget, it was designed for ±25% accuracy. The same accuracy for beta and gamma radiation is provided by Geiger-Muller meters installed in DO-RA prototypes. We used SBM-20, SBM-21 and SI-19BG detectors of Russian origin. Advanced DO-RA models will be equipped with semi-conducting silicone sensors or Graphene detectors. Accuracy of semi-conducting detectors using appropriate technologies can be as high as 10 - 15%. Moreover, they will have faster reaction and better efficiency compared with that of SBM outdated meters,  since they will not require transformation of 4 - 5 V supplied by smart phone battery to 260 - 320 V needed by SBMs for normal operation.

 November 07, 2011