Graduate of Russia’s ITMO University Develops AI-Driven Sensors to Protect Industrial Equipment
Russian engineers are testing new AI-powered sensors that monitor lubricants inside heavy machinery, aiming to prevent costly breakdowns and open export potential for high-tech solutions.
In Russia, ITMO University graduate Kirill Plugin has developed next-generation sensors with embedded artificial intelligence that monitor the condition of lubricants in complex industrial equipment in real time. The technology is designed to prevent expensive failures and reduce downtime for enterprises worldwide. For Russia, it also represents an example of export-ready innovation in high-tech.
According to ITMO’s press office, the startup “Predictive Sensorics” addresses a key shortcoming of conventional oil analysis—manual sampling. Traditional methods provide only a snapshot of data and often miss critical changes, leading to unplanned production shutdowns and multimillion-dollar losses. These “smart” sensors are immersed directly in oil and continuously track key parameters such as viscosity, density, water content, and temperature. Thanks to embedded AI, the system not only gathers data but also analyzes it, alerting operators to potential malfunctions at an early stage.
The devices are built to operate in extreme environments—from Arctic cold to overheated factory floors—making them suitable across diverse industries. The competitive edge of the Russian solution lies in the use of AI for predictive analysis. According to the startup’s founder, even global leaders in this field have not yet applied AI to data interpretation. The technology has already been successfully tested by major players such as Gazprom Neft and Smolmach.
