UWr geologist’s inventions will help secure buildings close to roads
On the occasion of the European Inventor’s Day, which falls on 9 November, we talk to dr hab. Jerzy Sobotka, prof. UWr of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Management – a patent developer in the field of geology.
Professor, you have recently been granted as many as three patents related to how to determine the speed of passing vehicles near buildings standing close to the road so that they are not damaged. What do they consist of and how do they differ?
Dr hab. Jerzy Sobotka, prof. UWr: The patents are dedicated to the safety of civilians living in buildings located in the zone where construction or engineering and geological work is being carried out. The common feature of the methods I invented for determining the speed of vehicles that would be safe for buildings is that they can be made with the same measuring device, while the difference lies in measuring different physical quantities (radial velocity, radial excursion amplitude, tangential excursion amplitude and corresponding frequency in three mutually perpendicular x, y, z directions).
How did you come up with the idea for these solutions?
For years there have been publications and reports in the press and other public media about damage to residential buildings or the evacuation of civilians as a result of construction, tunnelling. I thought that by using proper measurements, a significant portion of these incidents could have been avoided.
How long did the whole procedure of applying for patents take?
Counting from the date of notification, the process took more than three years. Another three patents, related to those already obtained, are still pending at the Patent Office, although they were filed almost simultaneously.
Are there plans to commercialize these inventions?
Yes, at the moment we are trying to advertise these solutions. They are inexpensive and accurate.
Who will be able to benefit from the inventions?
Certainly construction and engineering and geological companies.
Are these your first inventions?
In addition to these three recent patents, I am the author of six other inventions. Five are devoted to non-traditional geophysical methods of oil and gas exploration (borehole and surface) and the sixth patent is for the express identification of the petrographic composition of bituminous coals using a laser device.
Do you have plans for more patents?
I have. I plan to develop patents in the field of seismoelectricity directed at the search for drinking water.
What do you do on a daily basis in your research work?
I am engaged in the exploration of oil, gas, drinking water and metal deposits by non-traditional methods , as well as environmental geophysics (dikes, urban monitoring).
Thank you for the interview.
More information about prof. Sobotka’s patents can be found on the Institute of Geological Sciences website.
Complied by Ewelina Kośmider.
