Last weekend, September 5th and 6th, the Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus was a true epicenter of the country's scientific life. The "Science Festival 2026" unfolded here, where science proved accessible, tangible, and incredibly engaging for both children and adults.

It's worth noting, without false modesty, that one of the central points of attraction was the site of the Joint Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Our institute presented five developments that clearly demonstrate how machine learning algorithms solve real-world problems:

- an AI-based acoustic breath analyzer;
- a bird call recognition system;
- an interactive audio guide to the Botanical Garden;
- an omnidirectional hub motor with a neural network control system;
- a cloud-based expert analysis system.

The main difference between all the stands at this popular science event and classic museum exhibits was their interactivity. Visitors could not only observe the flashing sensors but also ask questions of the developers, try out the technologies in action, and learn the stories behind their creation.

Our visitors were able to take home their portraits, created by a sketchbot. The robot artist created a drawing for festival guests in just a minute, clearly demonstrating that contemporary art and robotics can go hand in hand. A selfie mirror was also available at the festival site.

The technologies undoubtedly generated great interest among the event's guests. But the main focus, of course, was on the people behind these developments and scientific achievements. Therefore, the "Cosmos" area was packed. The speaker was Hero of the Russian Federation and cosmonaut Oleg Germanovich Artemyev. The meeting was moderated by Alexei Maratovich Belotserkovsky, Head of the Intelligent Information Systems Department at the Joint Institute for Informatics and Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. The questions for the guest continued: the audience was keenly interested in life and work on the ISS, modern space technologies, and the future of human spaceflight. A separate topic of discussion was the role of intelligent systems in space exploration – from spacecraft control to the analysis of scientific data directly onboard the station.

Incidentally, space topics were widely represented; Geoinformation Systems, a subsidiary of the Joint Institute for Informatics and Mathematics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, launched the "World of Maps, Satellites, and Technologies!" platform. Guests tested a UAV satellite simulator, played "space tag," threw darts in "satellite darts," and participated in the dynamic game "Satellite Vortex."

The astronomical baton was picked up by Vladimir Georgievich Surdin, one of the most renowned popularizers of science. His lecture-meeting on the mysteries of planetary systems closed the first day of the festival with a full house.

The key idea of ​​the entire event was the complete blurring of the boundaries between rigorous academic science and everyday life. Contemporary Belarusian science is open to the world, engaging with its audience on an equal footing, and confidently looking to the future, transforming complex AI and robotics concepts into easily understandable tools.

See you next year!