Young Armenian Innovators Develop an Affordable Underwater Drone to Preserve Cultural Heritage
YEREVAN — Two young Armenian innovators, Carlos Petrossian and Michelle Hambardzumyan, representing CET Junior League, have developed WeDiscit, an affordable underwater exploration robot and digital community platform designed to make underwater cultural heritage exploration more accessible. Their innovation placed Armenia among the top 10 teams in the Future Innovators Junior category at the World Robot Olympiad 2026 in Croatia.
The project, developed by students aged 12 to 14, addresses a global challenge: underwater archaeological exploration often requires expensive equipment, professional divers, and specialized research teams, limiting opportunities for students, educators, and independent researchers to participate.
Inspired by the question, “What if an important part of our history was hidden underwater, but we had no way to explore it?” Carlos and Michelle set out to develop a more affordable and accessible solution.
The WeDiscit project combines two interconnected solutions: the WeDiscit Explorer Robot, a compact underwater remotely operated vehicle, and the WeDiscit Community Platform, a digital space for documenting and sharing underwater discoveries.
Using 3D-printed components, underwater cameras, electronic systems, and fiber-optic communication technology, the students developed and tested several robot prototypes. Throughout the process, they addressed engineering challenges involving waterproofing, buoyancy, stability, propulsion, and underwater communication.
Beyond the robotic solution, Carlos and Michelle created a WeDiscit website, a community platform designed to connect students, researchers, museums, diving enthusiasts, and citizen scientists. The platform enables users to share underwater findings, present 3D models, and exchange knowledge, with future plans to introduce AI-assisted processing and expert verification.
The project’s long-term ambition is to make underwater exploration and documentation more accessible while encouraging wider public participation in cultural heritage preservation.
An important inspiration for WeDiscit came from Armenian–Italian scientific cooperation in archaeological research connected to Lake Sevan, Armenia.
Through research and engagement with specialists, including Professor Pierfrancesco Callieri from the University of Bologna, the students explored how historical settlements and archaeological traces can become submerged as water levels change, and how modern technologies can support their documentation and study.
The research context helped Carlos and Michelle connect their engineering project with real challenges in underwater archaeology, demonstrating how international scientific cooperation and Armenia’s cultural heritage can inspire technological innovation among young people.
The students represented Armenia through CET Junior League, an educational robotics initiative organized by Creative Educational Technologies.
Established in 2016, CET has been advancing innovative educational solutions, hands-on learning, and robotics education in Armenia. Through partnerships with educational institutions, STEAM initiatives, and international robotics competitions, the company creates opportunities for students to develop practical engineering skills, critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
CET Junior League encourages students to move beyond classroom learning by conducting research, developing original technological solutions, and presenting their projects internationally.
The achievement of Carlos Petrossian and Michelle Hambardzumyan at WRO 2026 reflects this approach, demonstrating how educational robotics can empower Armenian students to address real-world challenges and compete on the international stage.
By combining affordable robotics, digital technologies, citizen science, and cultural heritage preservation, WeDiscit demonstrates how young innovators can contribute to challenges that extend beyond their own communities.
For Carlos and Michelle, their participation in WRO 2026 represents an important milestone in a project they hope to continue developing.
For CET Junior League, their achievement reinforces a broader mission: transforming young learners from users of technology into creators of solutions.
The WeDiscit team’s message captures the spirit of their initiative: “We Discovered It. Now Let’s Discover It Together.”
Creative Educational Technologies LLC is an Armenia-based educational technology company established in 2016, dedicated to introducing innovative educational solutions andadvancing STEAM learning. As the first distributor of creative educational solutions in Armenia, CET works with educational institutions and partners to promote hands-on learning, robotics, programming, and future-ready skills. Through initiatives such as CET Junior League, the company supports young innovators and creates opportunities for Armenian students to participate in international educational and robotics programs.
WeDiscit is a student-developed underwater exploration initiative combining an affordable underwater robot with a digital community platform. The project aims to make underwater exploration, documentation, and cultural heritage preservation more accessible through robotics, digital technology, and citizen science. Learn more online.
