Ukrainian firms swap air for a printed lattice in ground-robot tires
Print&Live UA and iSCALE 3D have developed a 3D-printable airless tire for Ukrainian ground robots, Popular Science reports. It is already in use at the front, the outlet says, but every performance claim comes from the companies.
The Scientist · Science desk
Ground robots: air-filled tires can be shot or break on barbed wire, shrapnel or debris. Soldiers: a two-piece rim set lets them swap a damaged tire with hand tools. Printing: needs large, industrial-scale printers. The companies say it is far lighter than Western airless options.
- Who's exposed exposure Ukraine's ground robots Air-filled tires can be shot at or break rolling over barbed wire, shrapnel or rugged debris, claim 1
- What's now possible capability Soldiers in the field A two-piece rim set lets them swap a damaged tire with simple hand tools, no presses or tire-changing machines, claim 6
- What it limits constraint Printing process Requires large, industrial-scale printers, claim 7
- What's now possible capability Print&Live UA and iSCALE 3D Say the wheel set is far lighter than Western airless alternatives and keeps working after some damage, claim 13
| Who | How | Kind | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ukraine's ground robots | Air-filled tires can be shot at or break rolling over barbed wire, shrapnel or rugged debris | exposure | 1 |
| Soldiers in the field | A two-piece rim set lets them swap a damaged tire with simple hand tools, no presses or tire-changing machines | capability | 6 |
| Printing process | Requires large, industrial-scale printers | constraint | 7 |
| Print&Live UA and iSCALE 3D | Say the wheel set is far lighter than Western airless alternatives and keeps working after some damage | capability | 13 |
What happened
- Pneumatic tires on the robots can be shot or broken by barbed wire, shrapnel and rugged debris.
- The new wheels are printed around a lightweight internal lattice of durable elastomers and composite polymers.
- A rounded tread and enclosed sidewalls are meant to keep mud, stones and ice from packing into the wheel.
- The companies say the wheel set is far lighter than Western airless alternatives and keeps working after some damage.
Why it matters
- What's now possible capability A two-piece rim lets soldiers swap a damaged tire with hand tools, with no press or tire-changing machine.
- What it limits constraint Production needs large industrial-scale printers, so these wheels cannot be made wherever a hobbyist-class machine is available.
- Who has to decide decision Anyone choosing between this wheel and a pneumatic or other airless one has to set up puncture, load and weight tests of their own before relying on it.
- What it sets up precedent A defense sector that has grown from a handful of companies to hundreds has many makers positioned to attack other single-component weak points.
The vehicles in question enter contested territory to resupply positions and evacuate wounded troops [12]. "One puncture and the mission ends where the machine stops," Print&Live UA and iSCALE 3D wrote on their websites [9].
The design aims at one failure. A pressurized tire can lose its cushioning in an instant. The lattice holds no pressurized air, so it cannot deflate. Popular Science says the lattice flexes and springs back over rough terrain, cushioning the vehicle the way air pressure does in a conventional tire, without the risk of a sudden puncture [4]. We think that is the right thing to remove from a vehicle whose job is crossing ground that is being shot at.
Whether it works better is a separate question. A claim that fewer tires will blow out needs a baseline: how often pneumatic tires failed on the same vehicles over the same ground, against how often these fail. The report does not include either rate, the number of vehicles fitted, the weight of a wheel set, or the level of damage the lattice tolerates. The companies say fewer blown-out tires could mean more lives saved [14].
The printing process is the other half of the pitch. Popular Science calls it a smaller, more nimble approach than building a factory to roll out one specific product [11]. The companies write that "Because the geometry is digital, stiffness and damping are programmed for each UGV type and payload, and a design upgrade is nothing more than a new file" [10].
What to watch
- Whether Print&Live UA or iSCALE 3D publish puncture, load or weight data, or a count of vehicles fitted with the wheel.
- Whether units report fewer immobilized ground vehicles than pneumatic-tired robots faced over comparable terrain.
Clarity's read
What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.
Reality
- Evidence22
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+30
- Incentives60
- Confidence40
Claim ledger
Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.
- [1]
Ukraine's wheeled ground robots have air-filled tires that are vulnerable: they can be shot at or break when rolling over barbed wire, shrapnel or rugged debris.
- [2]
Engineers from two Ukrainian companies, Print&Live UA and iSCALE 3D, developed a 3D-printable tire that requires no air.
- [3]
The wheels are 3D printed around a lightweight internal lattice made from durable elastomers and composite polymers.
- [4]
The lattice flexes and springs back over rough terrain, doing the cushioning work that air pressure does in conventional tires, without the risk of a sudden debilitating puncture.
- [5]
The tires have a rounded tread and enclosed sidewalls meant to keep mud, stones and ice from packing in.
- [6]
Each two-piece rim set lets soldiers swap out a damaged tire without tire-changing machines or presses, using simple hand tools in areas where full workshops are not available.
- [7]
The printing process requires large, industrial-scale printers.
- [8]
Ukraine's tech sector has grown from a handful of defense companies before the invasion to hundreds today.
- [9]
"One puncture and the mission ends where the machine stops,"
- [10]
"Because the geometry is digital, stiffness and damping are programmed for each UGV type and payload, and a design upgrade is nothing more than a new file,"
- [11]
Popular Science describes 3D printing the wheels as a much smaller, nimbler approach than an entire factory built to roll out one specific product.
- [12]
Ukraine has introduced remotely controlled ground vehicles tasked with entering contested territory and resupplying areas or evacuating wounded troops.
- [13]
According to Print&Live UA and iSCALE 3D, the wheel set is far lighter than Western airless alternatives and keeps working even after taking some damage.
- [14]
The companies say fewer blown-out tires could mean more lives saved.
- [15]
Popular Science reports the airless tire is already being deployed on front lines.
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Sources
1 independent publisher whose own reporting we read for this story.
- popsci.comUkraine’s military robots are getting tires that can’t go flat
1 article · October 16, 2026
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