Solutions to win: Ukrainian teenager developing robot mine-sapper in Sumy region

Photo: from the personal archive of Yermak Rohov

Alvina Kaminska

A schoolboy from Shostka, Sumy region, constructed a cleaning robot from LEGO and plans to create a robot to help demine Ukraine's territories after the war.

Rubryka writes about this, referring to the dev.ua publication.

What is the problem?

Due to the war, the terrain of numerous nation areas has been polluted with unexploded ordnance, incinerated vehicles and military equipment, and the remnants of buildings. This debris is scattered throughout urban and rural areas, forests, fields, beaches, and bodies of water, in addition to the everyday trash that is generated by the populace.

Moreover, Ukrainian sappers must conduct an extensive survey of the area and render safe thousands of mines and unexploded ordnance before agricultural land can be safely used, and citizens can move about cities and villages, especially those situated close to the front, without fear.

What is the solution?

Fourteen-year-old Yermak Rohov attends the "Young Technicians Station." He is also a member of the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

During his studies, Yermak came up with the idea of creating a cleaning robot to ease human labor. He is also working on another robot that will help in demining.

How does it work?

The adolescent engineer used the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 kit to construct a utility robot incorporating servos and sensors. The parts were adjoined using wires, and the robot was enabled to move through software programmed on a computer.

^{Photo: From the personal archive of Yermak Rohov}

It is noted that the cleaning robot consists of the following:

• small computer
• two servos that drive the model itself,
• another small servo that raises and lowers the robot's arm.

^{Photo: From the personal archive of Yermak Rohov}

The design incorporates an additional component resembling a brush capable of clamping and releasing objects. The robot arm is raised via a winch, and the entire mechanism is operated via a computer–controlled platform.

Yermak said the cleaning robot could collect garbage into the bin or plant trees or tomatoes.

Currently, Yermak is working on another robot that will help in demining. He is preparing this project for the Junior Academy of Sciences with his supervisor Yevhenii Belytskyi.

^{Photo: From the personal archive of Yermak Rohov}

This is a rather large robot based on a tracked chassis with a metal detector. It is equipped with a camera. And it can also be controlled remotely at a distance of up to one kilometer.

^{Photo: From the personal archive of Yermak Rohov}

When the robot detects a mine, the metal detector emits an audible signal, the remote control activates a visual indicator, and the robot autonomously marks the location of the mine. This information is then used by explosives experts to continue the demining process.

For reference:

It should be noted that Ukrainian engineers from Sumy have developed a robot-"hunter," with remote control. A robotic assistant will help our military during the counter-offensive.