The 3D Printed Rovers I’ve designed are not just remote-controlled vehicles. They are learning tools, a gateway to experimentation, discovery, and development in 3D printing, mechanical assembly, and electronics.
To understand how we got here, let’s take a step-by-step look at our journey:
🔹 2012 – The Beginning of the Journey
I graduated from the Mechanical Vehicle Engineering Department in Thessaloniki. Since then, I was always drawn to innovation and unconventional ideas—I never wanted to follow the standard path. My interest in Arduino and hydrogen energy led me to my first DIY cars and robotic projects.
🔹 2014 – The First Big Challenge
A high school from Mytilene approached me for help with an exciting competition: CanSat Europe.
📌 Goal: Build a mini satellite that would be launched with a rocket 2.5 km high and collect data.
📌 Method: We used 3D printing, which was still in its infancy in 2014.
📌 Result: The team traveled to Norway and won 2nd place in Europe!
🔥 This was when I realized the power of hands-on learning. The students weren’t just learning—they were creating, competing, feeling excitement, and achieving success.
🔹 2019 – Taking the Leap: Opening the Robotics Lab
After years of experimentation and professional exploration, I decided to invest in STEM education.
📌 I opened Mytilene’s first robotics lab.
📌 The lab was filled with micro:bit, Arduino, and LEGO Education.
📌 We had arena battles, educational projects, and students of all ages.
🛑 The Problem:
While students were initially excited, their interest faded over time as they grew older.
The traditional learning method—📖 Theory, 🔧 Assembly, 🔍 Observation—wasn’t engaging enough. Something was missing.
🔹 2020 – The Moment of Inspiration: Creating the First 3D Printed Rover
To keep students engaged, I needed to rethink the entire learning process.
📌 Goal: Design an educational tool that could inspire, challenge, and sustain excitement in learning.
📌 Solution: A fully 3D-printed rover.
✔ Modular design – allows infinite customization.
✔ Easy repairs – students can fix it themselves.
✔ Designed to “break” – students learn by troubleshooting and improving their designs.
💡 Every failure becomes a learning opportunity. Students weren’t just assembling—they were understanding, fixing, and optimizing their own rovers.
🔹 2021 – The Patent & System Testing
In 2021, we took the next big step:
📌 Filed for a patent for the rover’s design.
📌 Experimented with VR cameras, new materials, and different wheel configurations.
📌 Battle-tested the rovers in real-life robotics arenas.
📢 The result:
The students went crazy for it. The rover became the ultimate learning tool.
🔥 It wasn’t just another project—it was an experience, a gamified way of learning.
🔹 2022 – Expanding into Larger Rovers
As the project evolved, we realized that these small rovers could also serve beyond the classroom:
✔ STEM education in schools and robotics labs.
✔ Testing platforms for research institutions and universities.
✔ Industrial and defense applications for exploration and logistics.
📌 That’s when we decided to scale up, creating larger, more durable rovers capable of carrying heavier payloads and operating in demanding environments.
🔹 2023-2024 – The Project Today & The Future
📌 Building a comprehensive educational platform for teachers and students.
📌 Developing new rovers with autonomy, FPV control, and specialized applications.
📌 Expanding the project globally to make it a worldwide educational tool.
🚀 The Vision
I want to create a community of educators, makers, and learners who use the rover to explore, experiment, and innovate.
The journey continues… and now you can be part of it! 🎯
