Ukraine Builds Airless Wheels to Keep Ground Robots Moving After Battlefield Damage

Ukrainian companies Print&Live UA and iSCALE 3D have developed lightweight airless wheels for unmanned ground vehicles operating on the front line.

Militarnyi reported the development on October 7, citing the companies behind the project. According to the outlet, the wheels are designed specifically for ground robotic systems, where conventional pneumatic tires remain vulnerable to punctures and battlefield debris.

The new design eliminates the need for compressed air, allowing a wheel to remain functional after damage that could disable a conventional tire, Militarnyi added. The developers also focused on reducing the wheel's weight, an important factor for smaller robotic platforms with limited payload and battery capacity.

According to Militarnyi, the project combines Print&Live UA’s experience in additive manufacturing with iSCALE 3D’s work on large-format 3D printing. The technology allows components with complex internal structures to be manufactured without using traditional tire-production tooling.

Airless wheels use a flexible structural body rather than air pressure to support the vehicle’s weight and absorb impacts. For military ground robots, this can reduce the risk of losing mobility after running over fragments, nails, or other sharp objects common on the battlefield.

Militarnyi noted that such components are particularly relevant for unmanned ground vehicles used for logistics, evacuation, and other missions in areas where recovering a disabled platform can expose personnel to additional risk.

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Category

War in Ukraine

Ukraine’s Ground Robots Just Passed 25,000 Missions a Month as Front-Line Logistics Go Unmanned

Sep 09, 2026 14:25

Wheel resilience matters because Ukrainian ground robots are taking on an increasing share of frontline work.

On September 30, Ukrainian defense company Frontline Robotics unveiled Frodo, a six-wheeled unmanned ground vehicle with a range of up to 150 kilometers and a chassis designed to stay mobile even after losing a wheel.

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