History of the Department of Theoretical Mechanics,
Mechanical Science and Robotic Mechanical Systems
of the Faculty of Aviation Engines
of the National Aerospace University
"Kharkiv Aviation Institute"

The department of theoretical mechanics, mechanical engineering and robotic systems is a union of several departments, two of which were formed when the institute was founded in 1930.

From the moment of its foundation, professor Y.L. Geronimus was appointed as the head of the Department of Mathematics and Mechanics. Until 1941, the department of machine parts was headed by professor B.P. Dashkevich is an experienced specialist in the field of mechanical engineering. During the Great Patriotic War, the duties of the head of the machine parts department were first performed by S.T. Boychenko. In 1946, B.S. Kovalsky was appointed to this position. During his stay in Kazan, he defended his doctoral thesis and managed to create an atmosphere of creativity at the department. Since 1949, the combined department of machine parts and theory of machines and mechanisms was headed by D.I. Kostyuk, who previously headed the Department of Theory of Machines and Mechanisms. He fully accepted and continued to develop the creative, business environment formed at the department regarding the improvement of the educational process, the development of creative independent work of students, and their involvement in scientific work. Later, in the mid-50s, the teaching staff was replenished with young teachers (V.A. Tkachenko, V.M. Rydchenko, A.S. Yefoyan, N.V. Bobirev, V.V. Alfyorov). Group of teachers - L.I. Aleksandrov, M.P. Artemenko and L.M. Feldman developed the design of installations and the methodology of conducting laboratory work on machine parts.

In 1962, Ph.D., associate professor M.P. Artemenko was appointed head of the department of machine details and theory of machines and mechanisms. At that time, the department carried out the educational process from the courses "Theory of Machines and Mechanisms", "Details of Machines" and "Technical Mechanics".

In 1967, the Department of Machine Parts and Theory of Machines and Mechanisms began researching high-speed hydrostatic bearings for power plants and aircraft engine power units. The results of the research of hydrostatodynamic supports carried out at the department were published in 10 collections of scientific works, as well as in two monographs, and also became the basis of three doctor's and sixteen candidate's theses. The second important direction of scientific and research work of the department is the study of wave gear transmissions. Such studies at KhАІ were started by O.I. Poletuchy and V.H. Zorya. They completed and defended candidate theses on this topic. O.I. Poletuchy, in addition to calculating and designing wave transmissions, is the author of many design and technological innovations related to these transmissions, the novelty of which is protected by many USSR patents for inventions.

In 1998, by the decision of the rectorate, the department of machine parts and the theory of machines and mechanisms was disbanded in order to improve the relationship between the machine parts course and the graduating departments. In July 2000, during the formation of the Department of Theoretical Mechanics and Theory of Machines and Mechanisms, Professor V.M. Saprykin (as head of the department), a group of scientific employees of the same department O.G. Naryzhnyi, O.V. Shekhov, O.Yu. Kladova and assistant of the Department of Aviation Materials Science V.M. Pavlenko.

Since 2008, the Department of Theoretical Mechanics and Machine Science has been headed by Ph.D., Associate Professor Pavlenko Vitaliy Mykolayovych, who later defended his doctoral dissertation.

Since 2015, the head of the department is Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor Vasyl Oleksandrovich Menshikov. Since September 2012, the Department of Robotics has been attached to the Department of Theoretical Mechanics and Mechanical Science, after which the combined department received the name of Theoretical Mechanics, Mechanical Science and Robotic Systems. For 25 years, the constant head of the robotics department was a scientist and a specialist in the field of physical and technical processing of materials G. I. Kostiuk, who is the founder of the scientific school of plasma-ion, ion-beam, laser and combined technologies.

In 2014, a group of teachers joined the staff of the Department of Theoretical Mechanics, Mechanical Science and Robotic Systems, providing the educational process in the specialty "Packaging Machines and Technologies". The idea to open this specialty at the university arose back in 2004, because all advanced technologies and technical solutions have always belonged to the aerospace industry. Currently, more than a hundred students study the construction and design of packaging equipment, its control systems, master the principles of packaging design, study modern packaging materials and technologies for their use, storage and final disposal. Today, the educational process in this specialty is provided by a team of highly qualified specialists consisting of Doctor of Science, Associate Professor Hnytko O.M., Doctor of Science, H.M. Koloskova, Doctor of Science, Associate Professor N. Moskovskaya. M., Ph.D., Associate Professor Nesvit V.F.

In May 2019, Oleg Baranov, PhD, associate professor, was elected head of the department.

The main directions of the department's work are:

- training of specialists in the specialties "Applied Mechanics" (educational program "Robomechanical Systems and Logistics Complexes") and "Industrial Mechanical Engineering" (educational program "Computer Engineering");

- teaching of individual disciplines for other specialties of the university;

- improvement of the quality of the department's teachers through the defense of candidate and doctoral theses;

- editing of educational and methodical materials;

- improving the connection between theoretical and practical training of students, their adaptation to the needs of the modern labor market through annual internships both on the basis of Khai and outside it.