From a LEGO Model to a Chimney Robot

Three students from Zella-Mehlis want to make chimney cleaning safer—and are now further developing their “Jugend forscht” project in collaboration with a Thuringian company.

It’s raining. Luca Buchwald looks out the window and sees a chimney sweep at work on the neighbor’s roof. He thinks to himself: There’s got to be a better way.

Together with Janek Ritz and Constantin Kupfer from the Heinrich-Ehrhardt-Gymnasium in Zella-Mehlis, this has resulted in “The Chimney Cleaner” – CC-Bot 360°: a robot designed to automatically clean chimneys and make the work of chimney sweeps safer.

What began as a LEGO model for the “Jugend forscht” science competition will take a decisive step forward in 2026. Together with Zwerrenz Automatisierungstechnik in Suhl, the three students will begin developing their idea into a technical prototype.

The goal of the CC-Bot 360° is clear: to eliminate the need for chimney sweeps to climb onto the roof themselves to clean it.

The robot is designed to be operated from the ground and to move autonomously through the chimney. Sensors, cameras, and flexible cleaning tools are intended to help remove deposits. Adjustable wheels allow the robot to adapt to different chimney dimensions. For the robot’s locomotion, the team drew inspiration from the principles of adhesion and mobility exhibited by geckos.

The three teenagers’ goal is not only to simplify work processes. Above all, they aim to reduce the risks associated with working on the roof, changing weather conditions, and exposure to harmful soot.

The process could also change for residents: The chimney sweep would no longer have to go through the entire building all the way to the roof to perform certain tasks.

In 2025, Luca Buchwald, Janek Ritz, and Constantin Kupfer first presented their project at the “Jugend forscht” regional competition in Southwest Thuringia. In the “Working World” category, they took first place and received additional special awards.

At the 34th Thuringia “Jugend forscht” State Competition, the CC-Bot once again impressed the judges and also won first place in the “Working World” category.

This led the way to the 60th National “Jugend forscht” Competition. There, the project was awarded the Special Prize for a project in the field of “Effective Prevention and Rehabilitation.”

What began as a spontaneous observation quickly turned into a technical idea that went on to win multiple awards.

Development doesn’t end after the competition.

In 2026, the team will begin working with Zwerrenz Automatisierungstechnik in Suhl to develop a technical prototype based on the existing model. The collaboration is still in its very early stages. It remains to be seen how the functions of the LEGO model can be translated into a robust technical solution.

This marks the beginning of a new phase in the project for Luca Buchwald, Janek Ritz, and Constantin Kupfer: The focus is no longer solely on the idea and how it works, but rather on the question of how it can be developed into a system that functions under real-world conditions.

The CC-Bot demonstrates what “Jugend forscht” can make possible: Young people identify a specific problem, develop their own technical solution, and continue to pursue this idea even after the competition is over.

It remains to be seen whether the CC-Bot 360° will ever actually become a tool for the chimney sweep trade. But that first LEGO model has already become more than just a contest entry.

The three students are continuing to work on their idea—and, together with a company in Thuringia, they are now taking the first steps toward creating their first technical prototype.