Ukrainian Developers Complete Combat Trials of 3D-Printed Airless Wheels for Ground Robots

The wheel is produced with large-scale 3D printing and has a rounded tread, a closed profile and a two-piece disc. Its developers say the design improves cross-country ability, energy efficiency and maintainability for robotic equipment on the front line.

Conventional tyres can become unusable after encountering fragments, blast effects, rubble, barbed wire or frozen terrain, immobilizing remotely operated vehicles. Such failures can leave equipment exposed, and recovery operations may require personnel to approach locations where hostile fire remains a concern.

The Ukrainian design eliminates dependence on internal air pressure, allowing the wheel to retain its supporting function without inflation or routine pressure maintenance. Its internal structure uses a digitally adaptable lattice made from durable elastomers and composite polymers. Unlike designs with exposed cellular structures or flat running surfaces, the wheels feature enclosed construction and curved tread geometry.

The tyre is designed to limit the amount of dirt, stones and ice accumulating around the wheels during operation over difficult ground. Its relatively low mass and rounded profile are also intended to limit ground contact and rolling resistance, potentially reducing the energy required for movement.

Print&Live estimates that the design could extend the operating distance of ground robotic vehicles by as much as 30% compared with foreign alternatives. The complete wheel set weighs between 32 and 56 kg, compared with 88 to 144 kg for the cited foreign airless alternatives. However, conventional pneumatic sets weigh about 30 to 72 kg, meaning the Ukrainian design does not necessarily outperform every traditional tyre on weight alone. Reducing unsprung and rotating mass could nevertheless ease mechanical demands on the gearboxes and electric drive systems used by robotic platforms.

The manufacturing approach allows engineers to adjust wheel stiffness, shock absorption and geometry digitally according to a robot's weight and operating requirements. These adjustments can change product characteristics without requiring manufacturers to reorganize their production lines, potentially simplifying the development of specialized variants.

Field servicing is another consideration. The patented two-piece rim allows damaged tyres to be installed or replaced without conventional tyre-changing machinery. The developers say this arrangement removes the need for specialized presses, potentially making repairs easier where workshop facilities and equipment are unavailable. A complete set reportedly costs approximately €680, although the available information does not specify the precise configuration or replacement costs included in that price.

The project has passed its research and development phase, and production is already taking place in limited quantities for subsequent delivery to combat units. Independent operational evidence will be needed to establish how the wheels perform under sustained use, repeated impacts and varying battlefield conditions.

Editor's Summary Ukrainian developers have completed combat trials of 3D-printed airless wheels for unmanned ground vehicles, with production in limited quantities for combat units. The wheels use a closed, lattice-based design intended to resist punctures and reduce maintenance, and Print&Live estimates up to 30% longer operating distance than foreign airless alternatives. Independent evidence is still needed to assess sustained battlefield performance.