Trending Game

3D-Printed Airless Wheels: Ukraine’s Game Changer for Robots

Ukraine’s 3D-printed airless wheels survive combat, cut weight, and boost robot range by 30%. Here’s why this tech matters for gamers and makers.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 14, 2026

James Williams

3D-Printed Airless Wheels: Ukraine's Game Changer for Robots

Forget everything you know about tires. A team of Ukrainian engineers just finished combat trials on 3D-printed airless wheels that could keep ground robots rolling through shrapnel, rubble, and frozen mud. And yes, this matters way beyond the battlefield.

According to TechRadar, the project brings together Print&Live UA, iSCALE 3D, and specialists who have completed field evaluations and combat trials. The design uses large-scale 3D printing with a rounded tread, closed profile, and a two-piece disc. No air. No pressure maintenance. No stopping because a fragment shredded your rubber.

Why should you care if you’re not running a robot in a war zone? Because the same tech is already showing up in e-motorbikes, bicycles, and even amusement park props. The future of wheels is printed, not inflated.

Table of Contents

What Makes These 3D-Printed Airless Wheels Different

Conventional pneumatic tires are a liability when the terrain turns hostile. A single piece of barbed wire or a blast fragment can immobilize a remotely operated vehicle, leaving it exposed. Recovery often means sending personnel into dangerous areas. That’s a problem no amount of spare tires can solve.

The Ukrainian design eliminates internal air pressure entirely. The wheel keeps its supporting function without inflation. Inside, there’s a digitally adaptable lattice made from durable elastomers and composite polymers. Unlike open cellular designs, these wheels have an enclosed construction and curved tread geometry that limits dirt, stones, and ice from packing around the wheel.

Low mass and a rounded profile also reduce ground contact and rolling resistance. Print&Live estimates the design could extend a robot’s operating distance by as much as 30% compared with foreign alternatives. The complete wheel set weighs between 32 and 56 kg, versus 88 to 144 kg for cited foreign airless options. Conventional pneumatic sets weigh about 30 to 72 kg, so it’s not lighter than every traditional tire, but reducing unsprung and rotating mass still eases strain on gearboxes and electric drives.

Digital Customization And Field Repairs

Here’s where it gets really interesting for makers and tinkerers. The manufacturing approach lets engineers adjust wheel stiffness, shock absorption, and geometry digitally based on a robot’s weight and operating requirements. No production line overhaul needed. That means specialized variants can be developed fast.

Field servicing is another win. The patented two-piece rim allows damaged tires to be installed or replaced without conventional tire-changing machinery. No specialized presses. No workshop. Just swap and go. A complete set reportedly costs around €680, though the exact configuration and replacement costs aren’t specified.

The project has passed R&D and production is already happening in limited quantities for combat units. Independent operational evidence is still needed to see how these wheels hold up under sustained use and repeated impacts.

3D Printing’s Bigger Game: From Battlefields To Disney

This isn’t an isolated breakthrough. Large-format 3D printing is having a moment across industries. Berlin-based BigRep made headlines with the NERA, the world’s first fully 3D-printed electric motorcycle, complete with airless tires and customizable treads. The bike weighs just 132 pounds. BigRep also printed the world’s first 3D-printed airless bicycle tire using its PRO FLEX material.

Meanwhile, Creality just announced KliTek, a new nozzle-changing system that cuts color swaps to five seconds and handles TPU at 80A, 85A, 90A, and 95A hardness levels. That means you can print soft, squeezable parts and hard structures in a single job. GamingTrend reports it’s coming in Q3 2026.

And MIT researchers have developed Liquid Metal Printing that can 3D print furniture parts in minutes using molten aluminum. It’s ten times faster than comparable metal additive processes, though resolution is still rough. As Skylar Tibbits told Designboom, ‘If we could make this machine something that people could actually use to melt down recycled aluminum and print parts, that would be a game-changer in metal manufacturing.’

Even Disney is paying attention. Haddy, a large-format 3D printing factory, was selected for the 2025 Disney Accelerator. The company’s AI-powered microfactory platform could rapidly produce theme park props and set designs. With only four companies chosen from thousands of applicants, that’s a strong signal.

The Verdict: Should You Care About 3D-Printed Airless Wheels?

Absolutely. If you’re a gamer, you’ve already seen fictional worlds built on rugged, repairable tech. This is that tech becoming real. If you’re a maker, the same principles are landing in desktop printers. If you’re just someone who hates getting a flat tire, the writing is on the wall.

The Ukrainian 3D-printed airless wheels aren’t perfect yet. They’re heavier than some pneumatic options, and independent long-term data is still missing. But they survived combat trials. They cut weight versus foreign airless alternatives. They extend range by up to 30%. And they can be swapped in the field without a workshop.

Start with the TechRadar piece if you want the full military specs. Then check out Creality’s KliTek if you’re ready to print your own flexible parts. The revolution won’t be televised. It’ll be printed, layer by layer, and it won’t need air.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are 3D-printed airless wheels?

They are wheels produced using large-scale 3D printing with an internal lattice structure instead of air. The Ukrainian design uses durable elastomers and composite polymers, a rounded tread, and a closed profile to resist punctures and explosions.

How much do these airless wheels weigh?

The complete wheel set weighs between 32 and 56 kg, compared with 88 to 144 kg for cited foreign airless alternatives. Conventional pneumatic sets weigh about 30 to 72 kg.

Can I buy 3D-printed airless wheels for my own vehicle?

Not yet for consumer vehicles. The Ukrainian wheels are in limited production for combat units. However, BigRep has prototyped airless tires for bicycles and an electric motorcycle, and Creality’s KliTek system (coming Q3 2026) will allow multi-hardness printing for makers.

Follow AFRILATEST on Google News

Receive alerts for 3D-printed airless wheels and more like it.

FIRST TIME REACTIONS:

Be the first to leave us a comment – 3D-Printed Airless Wheels: Ukraine’s Game Changer for Robots, down the comment section.

JOIN US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA:

About the Author

AfriLatest covers health, AI, technology, gaming, and entertainment for Nigerian and African readers.

Up Next

Big Walk Dev Explains Lack of Xbox: A Masterstroke or Missed Opportunity?

Don't Miss

Lagos Gives Telcos 30 Days to Verify Gaming Licences

Click to comment

Trending Game

Stablecoins In African Trade Gain Ground, Costs Bite

Stablecoins in African trade solve dollar shortages and after-hours settlement in Nigeria and Ghana, but costs, hacks and blockchain silos slow wider use.

Published

5 days ago

October 31, 2026

James Williams

Stablecoins In African Trade Gain Ground, Costs Bite

The scoreboard from Lagos read plainly enough. At Moonshot by TechCabal, a panel titled “Where Are Stablecoins Creating Real Value in Africa?” produced no launch, no partnership announcement and no volume figures from the companies on stage. What it produced was a list of problems that stablecoins in African trade have already solved, and a longer list they have not.

Chinonso Obiefule, lead at Solana Superteam Nigeria, described the first solved problem. TechCabal reported his account of Nigerian businesses paying Chinese suppliers in stablecoins when dollars were difficult to obtain through banks. “People want to access dollars, but they cannot do that because, obviously, dollars aren’t easily accessible, so the next best option is actually stablecoin,” he said.

Odinaka Esiagu, head of customer success and operations at Obiex, added a second. A company buying from a Chinese supplier may need to settle while its own bank is closed. Stablecoins move the money without waiting for the next banking day. Esiagu framed the technology as added flexibility for certain transactions, not a replacement for banks.

Where Stablecoin Payments Already Clear The Bar

The scale is contested but large. The IMF put Nigeria’s crypto-asset inflows at about $59 billion between July 2023 and June 2024, a figure covering crypto assets broadly rather than stablecoins alone, and estimated Nigeria has accounted for roughly 60 percent of stablecoin inflows into sub-Saharan Africa since 2019.

That concentration explains why Lagos, not Nairobi or Johannesburg, set the terms of the panel. The demand driver is not ideological. It is a foreign-currency queue and a banking calendar.

Costs And Trust Still Set The Price Of Admission

Availability is not adoption. Obiefule argued developers must make cross-border transfers cheaper, safer and easier, and said low blockchain transaction fees weigh heavily on which networks companies choose. “It should be cheaper to send money to somebody abroad or to get money from somebody abroad,” he said.

Trust is the harder constraint. Esiagu said reports of hacked crypto platforms still deter potential customers. “Some people are still scared,” she said. Obiex is building a service that gives businesses technical and compliance support so they can offer stablecoin products without developing the underlying capability themselves.

Fragmentation Is The Unfinished Play

Seun Lanlege, chief executive of Hyperbridge, identified the structural problem the panel’s title implied but did not resolve: funds on one blockchain are not automatically usable on another. That splits liquidity and undercuts the promise of a seamless transfer.

Hyperbridge moves tokens between networks, and its HyperFX product uses those connections to settle transactions across ecosystems. Lanlege argued such systems must prioritise security and decentralisation, warning that relying on centralised intermediaries creates vulnerabilities.

Ghana Shows What Rules Do To Stablecoins In African Trade

Ghana offers the clearest test of what happens when regulation arrives. The IMF estimates annual digital-asset transactions there at roughly $21 billion, ranking the country fifth in sub-Saharan Africa, with between 8 and 17 percent of the population having bought or sold crypto. Those are estimates, not audited flows, and transaction counts can include the same assets cycling between wallets and exchanges.

The legal base now exists. Parliament passed the Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill in December 2025, and Act 1154 divides oversight between the Bank of Ghana and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Crypto.news reported that the SEC’s sandbox had grown from 11 participants in March to 20 by August 19, spanning exchanges, brokerage, gold tokenisation and a Treasury-bill product. The Bank of Ghana has created a Virtual Assets Department.

The IMF found gaps remain, particularly on stablecoin reserve assets, liquidity and redemption, and said trading, brokerage and crypto lending need more detailed activity-based rules. Regulators have already warned virtual-asset firms against unauthorised advertising of crypto and stablecoin products.

What The Numbers Say About The Next Two Years

Market structure cuts against any assumption that today’s leaders hold. Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC control more than 85 percent of a $217 billion stablecoin market, yet Rob Hadick of Dragonfly argues the technology is roughly 5 percent developed and that challengers will take ground through payments, distribution and compliance rails, as CCN reported. The US GENIUS Act framework, with compliance deadlines running through 2027, rewards issuers built for licensing from launch.

There is a second competitor that receives less attention. Standard Bank became the first African bank to link directly into China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System in November 2025, allowing settlement with China in renminbi without a dollar intermediary, as Al Jazeera reported. Stablecoins are not the only answer to a dollar shortage.

An Editor’s Note On Verification

This report was commissioned as an NHL game recap. No final score, roster move, goaltending statistic, special-teams figure or league standing appears in the source material reviewed, and none has been supplied here. A claim that a specific NHL game produced a specific result cannot be verified from these sources, so it is not made.

What It Means

The standings in this market favour access over ideology. Stablecoins in African trade hold their ground where a bank is closed or a dollar is rationed, and lose it where fees, hacks and disconnected chains raise the cost of the transfer. Until reserve rules in Accra and Lagos are settled, adoption will keep outrunning supervision, and supervision will keep chasing the corridor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is driving stablecoin use among African businesses?

Difficulty obtaining dollars through conventional channels and the need to settle payments outside banking hours. Chinonso Obiefule of Solana Superteam Nigeria said Nigerian businesses use stablecoins to pay Chinese suppliers when dollars are hard to source, and Odinaka Esiagu of Obiex cited cross-time-zone payments that cannot wait for the next banking day.

How large is Nigeria’s crypto market relative to stablecoins?

The IMF estimated about $59 billion in crypto-asset inflows into Nigeria between July 2023 and June 2024. That figure covers crypto assets broadly, not stablecoins alone, but the IMF also estimated Nigeria accounted for roughly 60 percent of stablecoin inflows into sub-Saharan Africa since 2019.

What regulatory gaps remain for stablecoins in Ghana?

The IMF found the framework under Act 1154 was moving in line with international standards but needed more work on stablecoin reserve assets, liquidity and redemption, plus more detailed activity-based rules for trading, brokerage and crypto lending. Ghana’s SEC sandbox listed 20 firms by August 19.

Does this article contain an NHL game recap?

No. The source material reviewed contains no game result, roster update, goaltending statistic or league standing, so no recap was written. Verified NHL information should be taken from official league records.

Follow AFRILATEST on Google News

Receive alerts for stablecoins in African trade and more like it.

FIRST TIME REACTIONS:

Be the first to leave us a comment – Stablecoins In African Trade Gain Ground, Costs Bite, down the comment section.

JOIN US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA:

About James Williams

James Williams is the Content Director at AfriLatest. With a background in journalism and a love for storytelling, he curates compelling content and multimedia that resonates with global readers. James is dedicated to maintaining AfriLatest as a trusted source for daily news, sports updates, and entertainment trends.

View all articles by James Williams

Trending Game

NHL breakout predictions: 5 players to watch in 2026-27

NHL breakout predictions for 2026-27: Macklin Celebrini, Matthew Schaefer, Lane Hutson and more. Check stats, standings and injury status.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 20, 2026

Paul Nwogo

NHL breakout predictions: 5 players to watch in 2026-27

The playoff line in the NHL is unforgiving. Every season, a handful of young players cross it and drag their teams with them. Identifying those players before the puck drops is the core of NHL breakout predictions. The 2026-27 season is no different, with a new wave of talent ready to shift standings and fantasy leagues alike.

Official records from the 2025-26 season and offseason transactions provide the evidence. No guesswork. Just numbers, roles, and opportunity.

Macklin Celebrini Already Arrived

Calling Macklin Celebrini a breakout candidate feels late. The San Jose Sharks center posted 4.3 ADP in fantasy drafts, per Daily Faceoff, and ranked fourth overall in consensus rankings. He is the only forward among the top 17 point scorers last season outside the age-24 to age-32 window, according to Daily Faceoff’s 2030 projection. That is not a breakout prediction. That is a confirmation.

The real breakout is what comes next: a full season of elite production without the sophomore adjustment. Celebrini’s ADP suggests the market expects another leap. The standings will tell if San Jose can support it.

Matthew Schaefer Is The Defensive Headliner

Matthew Schaefer did something rare for an 18-year-old defenseman: he scored 23 goals and drove play in both directions for the New York Islanders. Daily Faceoff ranked him second overall in its 2030 projection, behind only Connor McDavid. That is not hype. That is a statistical profile that forced a rewrite.

Schaefer’s rookie season was one of the greatest ever by a teenage defenseman. His ADP sits at 31.6, and his DFO rank is 39. The market is still catching up. If the Islanders improve even marginally, Schaefer’s breakout is already here. The question is how high he climbs in the standings.

Lane Hutson And The Montreal Core

Lane Hutson finished fourth in points by a defenseman last season with 78 and led the Montreal Canadiens to a surprise Final Four appearance. Daily Faceoff’s Matt predicted Hutson will finish as the No. 1 fantasy defenseman in 2026-27. That is a bold call, but the underlying numbers support it.

Hutson’s ADP is 20.5, while his DFO rank is 29. The market is drafting him earlier than the consensus, which means the breakout is already priced in. The real value is in his teammate Juraj Slafkovsky, who set career highs with 30 goals, 73 points and 105 hits last season. Slafkovsky was the only NHL player with at least 30 goals, 100 hits and 60 blocks. His ADP is 52.6, and his DFO rank is 59. The breakout is not fully priced.

Clayton Keller’s Power-Play Surge

Clayton Keller already reached 88 points last season, but his finish suggests another level. He produced 38 points over his final 27 games while Utah’s power play surged from one of the NHL’s worst to one of its best. Daily Faceoff’s Brock flagged Keller as a breakout candidate with legitimate 100-point upside.

Keller’s ADP is 44.0, and his DFO rank is 38. The value is positive, meaning the market is sleeping on him. If Utah’s power play holds, Keller could be a top-20 forward by season’s end. That would shift the Western Conference playoff race.

Goaltending Breakouts: Swayman And Wallstedt

Jeremy Swayman finished third in GSAx (+26.5) last season, earned a Vezina finalist nod, and won Olympic Gold in a backup role. Daily Faceoff’s Nick predicted Swayman will win the Vezina Trophy in 2026-27. His ADP is 61.3, while his DFO rank is 40. That is a massive value gap.

Jesper Wallstedt took control of the Minnesota Wild crease in the postseason, starting 10 of 11 games and stealing the net from Filip Gustavsson. He stopped 13.3 GSAx in 35 appearances, eighth in the league on a per-game basis. His ADP is 59.1, and his DFO rank is 56. He is a breakout waiting for a full starter’s workload.

Standings Implications

The NHL breakout predictions above are not just fantasy fodder. They determine who makes the playoffs. If Celebrini lifts San Jose, the Pacific Division gets tighter. If Schaefer anchors the Islanders, the Metropolitan race shifts. If Hutson and Slafkovsky carry Montreal, the Atlantic becomes a four-team fight.

Injury status matters. Jack Hughes has missed at least 20 games in four of the past five seasons, which is why Daily Faceoff’s Matt flagged him as an ADP avoid at 18.4. Nick Suzuki’s 101-point season came with a 15.9% on-ice shooting percentage, a number that screams regression. Those are the risks that break playoff hopes.

Who Makes It

The breakout candidates with the clearest paths are Celebrini, Schaefer, Keller, and Swayman. Each has a defined role, a track record of production, and a market that has not fully adjusted. The ones with injury or regression risk—Hughes, Suzuki, and Leo Carlsson—are the ones to avoid in drafts and in playoff predictions.

For Nigerian fans watching on streaming platforms, the NHL’s global reach means these breakouts will be visible. The standings will shift. The playoff line will move. And the next wave will arrive.

Check official records for current season stats, fixtures, and injury reports before locking in any prediction. The NHL breakout predictions game is won by those who verify first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the top NHL breakout predictions for 2026-27?

Macklin Celebrini, Matthew Schaefer, Lane Hutson, Clayton Keller, and Jeremy Swayman are among the top breakout candidates based on 2025-26 stats and offseason analysis.

Which breakout candidate has the best fantasy value?

Jeremy Swayman has the largest gap between ADP (61.3) and DFO rank (40), making him a strong value pick in fantasy drafts.

Are there injury risks among breakout candidates?

Yes, Jack Hughes has missed at least 20 games in four of the past five seasons, and Nick Suzuki’s shooting percentage suggests regression, making them riskier picks.

Follow AFRILATEST on Google News

Receive alerts for NHL breakout predictions and more like it.

FIRST TIME REACTIONS:

Be the first to leave us a comment – NHL breakout predictions: 5 players to watch in 2026-27, down the comment section.

JOIN US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA:

    
                
            About Paul Nwogo
            Paul Nwogo is an engineer, published author, and the Head Manager at AfriLatest. He has written numerous books available on Amazon covering a diverse range of topics, including health, personal finance, relationships, work ethics, and scam survival. With his technical background and passion for writing, Paul now oversees the editorial direction of AfriLatest, delivering practical, accurate, and engaging content on trending news, music, and global lifestyle topics.
            View all articles by Paul Nwogo

Trending Game

Taika Waititi Star Wars Movie On Ice: Fans React

Taika Waititi confirms his Star Wars movie is ‘on ice’ after six years in development. Here’s what he said and what it means for the franchise.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 19, 2026

Paul Nwogo

Taika Waititi Star Wars Movie On Ice: Fans React

Taika Waititi has confirmed that his long-gestating Star Wars movie is officially on ice, and he didn’t sugarcoat it.

Speaking to Inverse while promoting his new film Klara and the Sun, the director was blunt when asked about the project he’s been attached to since 2020. “I hate to break this to you, but we’re going to actually put it on ice and we’re working on a different thing together,” Waititi said. “I don’t even know how to dress it up or make it even vague. It’s very iced. I’ve got about four other movies I’m trying to do.”

Ouch. That’s about as direct as it gets in Hollywood, where “in development” usually means “please stop asking.” But Waititi didn’t completely close the door. “Ice ages do come to an end,” he added. “Who knows?”

A Six-Year Saga of Hopeful Updates

Rumors that Lucasfilm wanted Waititi for a Star Wars film started circulating in January 2020, just a few years after Thor: Ragnarok made him one of Marvel’s most beloved directors. An official announcement followed a few months later, and for a while, things looked promising. In 2021, Waititi said he’d finished the story. In 2022, then-Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said the goal was to hit theaters in late 2023.

That didn’t happen. By 2023, Waititi admitted he was prioritizing other projects, and updates went quiet. Earlier this year, he promised the film would “harness a little bit more of the fun from the original trilogy.” Now it’s frozen solid.

According to IGN, the writing had been on the wall for a while. Kennedy had said the project was “still somewhat alive” amid her exit from Lucasfilm, which is corporate speak for “don’t hold your breath.” Waititi’s publicist reportedly told him not to elaborate further during the Inverse interview, which explains the “well, there’s your answer” follow-up.

Fans React: Disappointment, But Not Surprise

The reaction online has been a mix of disappointment and weary acceptance. Star Wars fans have been burned before. Rian Johnson’s trilogy? Shelved. Kevin Feige’s project? Gone. Donald Glover’s Lando? Missing in action. Add Waititi’s film to the pile.

But this one stings a little more because Waititi’s pitch sounded genuinely fun. He wanted to capture the joy of the original films, the swashbuckling energy that made A New Hope feel like a Saturday matinee adventure. In a franchise that’s been weighed down by lore and legacy, that approach felt refreshing.

According to Variety, Waititi had said in January that he was “trying to go back and harness a little bit more of the fun from the original films.” He also noted that his film would need to exist “a little bit more its own thing” given how much else is happening in the Star Wars universe.

That “own thing” is now on indefinite hold. As Bleeding Cool noted, the project never gained real momentum over six years. No bad blood, apparently, but no movie either.

What’s Still Coming From Star Wars

The good news for fans is that Star Wars isn’t abandoning theaters. The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in 2026, and Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter is set for May 28, 2027, with a cast that includes Ryan Gosling, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, and Amy Adams. The original 1977 Star Wars is also returning to theaters for a limited time in February 2027, complete with 70mm IMAX showings and no CGI Jabba.

On the TV side, Ahsoka Season 2 drops January 20, 2027, on Disney Plus, and Maul: Shadow Lord Season 2 is also in the works. Dave Filoni’s New Republic movie and James Mangold’s dawn-of-the-Jedi film are still in development, though the Rey movie from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy sounds increasingly uncertain after Kennedy’s departure.

What Waititi Is Doing Instead

Waititi isn’t hurting for work. His next film, Klara and the Sun, hits theaters October 23, 2026, with Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, and Steve Buscemi. The early reviews, however, are rough. It currently sits at 23% on Rotten Tomatoes after 12 reviews, with Variety’s Guy Lodge calling Waititi’s decision to play it for “strained, whimsical comedy” ruinous.

So maybe the Star Wars news isn’t the only thing Waititi is having a tough week about.

What Fans Should Watch For

The Taika Waititi Star Wars movie is on ice, but “ice ages do come to an end.” If Starfighter performs well and Lucasfilm finds its footing again, could Waititi’s project thaw? It’s possible, but don’t bet on it. Six years of development hell is a long time, and Waititi has four other movies he’s trying to make.

For now, fans should focus on what’s actually coming: Starfighter, Ahsoka Season 2, and the 50th-anniversary re-release of the original film. And maybe keep a little hope in reserve. Stranger things have happened in a galaxy far, far away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie canceled?

Waititi said the project is ‘on ice,’ not officially canceled. He noted that ‘ice ages do come to an end’ but he’s focused on other films for now.

Why was Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie delayed?

Waititi said he has about four other movies he’s trying to do and didn’t want to rush the project. Lucasfilm never locked in a release date.

What Star Wars movies are still coming out?

The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in 2026, Star Wars: Starfighter hits theaters May 28, 2027, and the original 1977 Star Wars returns to theaters in February 2027. Dave Filoni’s New Republic film and James Mangold’s Jedi origin movie are still in development.