Implementation of the project Young Inventor of the Republic continues in Donetsk, initiated by

Fantasy without limits

In Donetsk, the implementation of the project Young Inventor of the Republic, initiated by the Ministry of Information of the DPR, continues. Donetsk Time joins the event and begins to acquaint readers with the work of our youngest talents

Help young technicians

As explained by the chief specialist of the department of social and information projects of the Ministry of Information of the DPR Egor Chernoknizhny, the purpose of the project is to highlight the potential of the younger generation of the Republic in the field of scientific inventions, as well as to attract the attention of scientists in a particular field for the possibility of further practical application of inventions.

– We are creating an information platform for a wider acquaintance with the activities of circles of young technicians-inventors in all cities of the Republic. We also provide assistance in the further implementation of children's projects, their practical application in various fields of activity, – the ministry's specialist explained.

The project is organized by the Ministry of Information together with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Donetsk People's Republic.

Little Architects

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We will begin our acquaintance with young creators with a visit to the circle of architectural modeling of the Donetsk Republican Center for Technical Creativity on the basis of the Information Technology Gymnasium No. 61.

Here, the guys create simply amazing projects from Lego parts. As soon as we entered the classroom, we immediately saw a model of an Orthodox church in front of us, which is very reminiscent of the Donetsk Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral. And we were not wrong. As it soon became clear, this is indeed a copy of the named temple, made, of course, on a smaller scale, but with very accurate detail. Nearby stood a large but not yet finished model of a sailing ship. And all this – from the small details of the designer!

Without drawings and diagrams

Young architects are engaged in creativity under the guidance Yuri Balabanov. We will contact him with questions.

– Yuri Borisovich, a huge number of details of the designer immediately catches the eye. Their account, apparently, goes into the thousands?

– There are about 15 thousand parts. In general, we only have 60 kilograms of Lego parts. (Laughs.) Once we received these sets as a gift, and since then children have been using them in their art.

Tell me about the circle. How are the classes going?

Our club has been operating since 2012. Here, the guys assemble models on their own – from a few cubes to large-scale projects that they work on for several months. Large models are best created together. Our goal is to teach children to think creatively. Therefore, we do without ready-made drawings and diagrams.Our young architects create everything on their own. “City of the future”, “Technical Center”, “Yacht Club”-these are only a few projects we have implemented. To build a yacht club model, for example, it took more than one and a half thousand details of various forms and configurations. The first large -scale model, presented at the Republican exhibition and awarded an award for infrastructure, was the stadium of the future Rosa Donbass.

But the model of the floating cosmodrome Marine Start is an exact copy of this cosmodrome. By the way, the guys gained recognition from people who directly operate a real object – for thorough detail and accurate compliance.

The publication

– Tell me, this temple, this beautiful sailboat … Will you show them to the general public?

-Yes, we prepared this, almost accurate, copy of the Transfiguration Cathedral for the annual exhibition, which will soon be held at one of the faculties of the Donetsk National Technical University. Then the same model will be shown at the holiday in honor of the City Day. By the way, five people were gathered for three months.

– How is the transportation? Not afraid to break the work of the guys?

– All the designs are block. First, small parts are collected, which are then connected. It is more convenient to create models when you work with a team, and it also helps when transporting models. We already have a bitter experience. Once we turned a huge box before landing on the train … When we opened, the children cried. Then we restored the project within seven hours. And restored!

– How do your pupils cope with the tasks? Are there any difficulties with them?

– Let's not forget that these are children. Of course, they can be distracted, make noise and indulge, but in general they are engaged in this type of creativity with great interest, and we, in turn, contribute in every possible way.

Looking around, seeing all these models collected by young architects, you begin to understand: the fantasy of the guys is limitless. I would very much like to stay here longer and see what these talented children are still capable of, because their work really fascinates. But we will move on, since we still have a lot of interesting things ahead.

Able to move

Here, a floor below, in one of the offices there are guys from a mug of robotics. The works created by young techies consist of the same LEGO details, but they are also able to move! He leads young talents Mikhail Kulik.

– Michael Sergeyevich, tell us what you are doing with the guys?

-In our circle, we work with designers who suggest not only the design of the model, but also its programming for the performance of any action. That is, we create moving models and mechanisms. We work as a project method. That is, we select the theme and begin to collect the robot. The guys create their own models in the team.So more interesting and productive. But for individual work, we, unfortunately, are not enough designer sets. The circle is designed for students of grades 5–7. At this age, children are already a little versed in mechanics, design technique, and so on.

Toy copies

There are interesting devices on the desk in the audience. They are very reminiscent of existing industrial units, only small and made of designer details. On the corner there is a Ferris wheel. The details of the work are amazing. For example, trees grow around the Ferris wheel, and visitors to the attraction are sitting in the booths. Naturally, toy, but the scale and proportions are observed so accurately that everything looks very harmonious.

But the most interesting begins when the guys press some button and a rather large number of details suddenly come in motion. And this movement occurs strictly in accordance with the purpose of the model, that is, all those actions that the real technique performs are performed exactly. It is amazing that all this was done by schoolchildren!

– How do your models work?

– Our designer allows you to assemble and program with a computer many basic models according to the instructions, as well as come up with their own. In the set, parts compatible with standard Lego bricks. The heart of the designer is a microcomputer. This is a small block. The rest is the bricks of the designer and wires. In general, the guys collect a conceived unit from LEGO details, set the programs, and the robot performs them. A person can control the model through Bluetooth. If desired, you can download the data into the memory of the microprocessor – then the system will be completely autonomous. All details are associated with sensors.

– You probably participated in exhibitions?

– Yes. In December 2018, on the basis of the Donetsk National Technical University, a republican exhibition of scientific and technical creativity was held. A competition was held there, at which an honorable 2nd place in the younger age group was taken by the student of the eighth “A” class of our gymnasium Evgeny Kurennaya. Zhenya introduced the operating model “Robotized Machine type loader”, made on the basis of the Lego Mindstorms NXT designer. The competent jury appreciated the complexity and individuality of this project.

Now we are participating in the competition in technical creative modeling, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of our city. They prepared three models: a mine passer, a drill model and a forensic wheel.

We are reluctant to say goodbye to the participants of the circle. Everything is very interesting here, the guys are big well done, but it's time to get acquainted with another type of creativity.

Oh, it's not easy to work …

Let's move to the Donetsk Republican Center for Technical Creativity and visit the animation laboratory. Here, the guys, led by Valery Mokryagin, are engaged in the creation of cartoons.We talked with one of the young animators Daniil Kuleshov.

– Daniil, please tell me how the process of creating a cartoon takes place?

– Usually the creation of a cartoon begins with a picture. To begin with, sketches of future characters with a brief description of the plot and basic movements are performed on paper. This is called a pickup. When the sketches are ready, we begin to model the characters. Modeling is the creation of painted characters in a special computer program.

At this stage, we set morons to future heroes, these are such visual effects that create the impression of the transition of the object from one state to another. With the help of morphs, the animator will be able to convey the emotions and character of the characters.

Then the resulting character with morphs needs to be configured. We add to him the bones to which controllers are tied, with the help of them we set the movement of any of the parts of the body.

Then we carefully check everything. And then an animation follows. Our characters begin to come to life. They begin to move along the given trajectories, as we indicated in the parameters.

After all this, the last stage comes in creating a cartoon. Decorations, special effects and everything else are added.

– Tell me, where do you get ideas for your work?

– Of course, we come up with our heroes ourselves. Like the plot. First, some idea appears that we fix on paper, and then transfer all this to the computer program.

– How long does it take to create a cartoon?

– Lots of. For example, the cartoon about the New Year lasts about three minutes, and work on it lasted for almost four months. In fact, this is a very laborious process and a very painstaking work.

– Are you doing everything yourself or are you working together?

– Each of us has our own projects. But it’s better to work together, in the team. So more effective and productive. We cooperate, consult, somehow complement each other. Yes, and the production of the entire cartoon in this case takes less time.

– Do you think anyone can engage in this kind of creativity?

– I do not know. May be. In such work, desire and patience are necessary, as well as the ability to overcome some difficulties. Not everyone who comes to us cope with this. But the most stubborn and persistent continue to work and create interesting projects.

We want to add that the pupils of the animation laboratory were repeatedly awarded with diplomas, diplomas and certificates for participating in republican and international competitions and festivals.

The need for creativity

In conclusion, I would like to note that attracting children to creative activity is one of the important tasks of modern education. Because the content of labor in modern conditions is measured not only by the degree of its intensity, but also by the level of manifestation of creativity.Moreover, there is a trend: with the development of society, the intensity and the amount of physical labor decreases, and the intellectual, creative – increases. The assessment of labor also changes. Creative work is gaining more and more social significance, and therefore a creatively working person.

Our journey into the world of young Donetsk inventors convinces us of the inexhaustible possibilities of the younger generation, which indicates the strength of the glorious traditions laid down by the predecessors. We will value this and in every possible way improve the conditions for the implementation of so important for the prospects of the Republic of Youth Potential.

The editors thanks the Ministry of Information of the DPR for assistance in preparing the material

Author Sergey Anisimov. Photo by Valery Lukich

Donetsk time Republican weekly newspaper. It comes out since September 30, 2015. Volume – 32 stripes, 8 color, television program. It illuminates the most diverse spheres of the life of the republic: social, politics, economics, military. Coverage of the audience – DPR.