Invent, design, build. BUT Joins the MyMachine Programme

Dream inventions, boundless imagination, and technical know-how put into practice. Brno University of Technology (BUT) has joined the pilot edition of the MyMachine Czechia programme led by the Future Shapers initiative as its main university partner. The programme connects primary school pupils, secondary school students, and university students in the creation of functional prototypes based on inventions imagined by children. BUT is represented by student creative teams that have developed the designs of eight inventions, including a joke-telling robot, an LED cap, and an AI bartender.

Over 400 elementary school students participated in the pilot edition of MyMachine Czechia. | Author: Courtesy of MyMachine Czechia

Children invent, university students design, secondary school students build

The pilot edition of MyMachine Czechia is taking place in the South Moravian Region under the umbrella of the Future Shapers initiative. Primary school pupils came up with their dream inventions, university students designed their technical solutions, and secondary school students are now building them. More than 400 primary school pupils, over 80 secondary school students, and 39 university students, 38 of whom study at BUT, have taken part in the programme. The project has also been supported by nine corporate patrons through workshops, excursions, mentoring, and the provision of materials.

During the workshops, the children drew their dream inventions. | Author: Courtesy of MyMachine Czechia
Everything began with workshops at primary schools. While drawing their ideas, children learned to think about how their invention could work and who it could help. The resulting concepts ranged from practical to playful, from a self-watering flower pot using recycled water to the cheeky “pill-cheat helper” designed to help students answer questions during tests.

In November 2025, university teams, secondary school teams, corporate patrons, and representatives of MyMachine Czechia came together at the so-called Invention Selection Council and chose eight children’s inventions for realisation. The projects were then handed over to BUT, where student teams evaluated material and production possibilities and created the first designs.

The MyMachine Czechia program is the flagship initiative of Future Shapers. | Author: Courtesy of MyMachine Czechia

During February, March, and April, children from primary schools, together with secondary school students, visited BUT to see the designs while also experiencing the environment of a technical university first-hand. Each visit included faculty tours and technical activities, ranging from drawing a dream house to workshops in the entertaining Elektrárium laboratory or maker workshops.

“At first glance, the programme may seem complicated, but thanks to the excellent organisation by both Future Shapers and BUT, everything ran very smoothly,” says BUT Vice-Rector for Education and Quality Vítězslav Máša about the course of MyMachine Czechia. “It shows that enthusiasm for a shared goal can connect generations and turn ideas into reality. At the same time, it is a valuable experience that develops creativity, teamwork, and, in the long term, interest in STEM fields,” he adds.

A joke-telling robot, an AI bartender, Megatron, and an LED cap

The inventions assigned to the individual teams are united by their originality, creativity, and potential for further development. A group of students from the Faculty of Information Technology (FIT) took charge of the technical solution for ASR (Automatic Folding Robot), designed by a pupil from Židlochovice Primary School. The robot is intended to generate jokes and print stamps, while also containing a flashlight, toothbrush, alarm clock, calculator, and a hidden sweets compartment. Based on the university students’ design, it is now being built by students from T. G. Masaryk Grammar School in Hustopeče.

The original design of the ASR robot. | Author: Courtesy of MyMachine Czechia

The student organisation ARC Siola, based at the Faculty of Civil Engineering (FCE) in cooperation with FIT and a student from the Faculty of Informatics at Masaryk University, tackled an AI-powered drinks vending machine imagined by a pupil from ZŠ Tyršova in Brno. The machine is meant to mix a customised drink for children depending on how they feel that day. A team of students from Gymnázium Křenová in Brno is currently working on its construction.

At the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FME), the student association Lizard Engineers created the design for Megatron, inspired by drawings from pupils of ZŠ and MŠ Husova in Brno. This special Transformer-inspired vehicle is designed to deliver children their dream food. The prototype is being assembled by students from SŠTE Olomoucká.

During the faculty tour, the children explored various technologies at FIT. | Author: Courtesy of FIT

The creative team Brno Mars Rover at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication (FEEC) took responsibility for an LED cap that changes colour according to the wearer’s mood. They based the design on a drawing of an LED T-shirt by a pupil from ZŠ Otevřená in Žebětín. The invention is now being developed by secondary school students from Purkyňka Brno.

According to career counsellor Markéta Němcová from ZŠ Otevřená, participation in the programme brings children many valuable experiences. During a visit to TE Connectivity, for example, they gained insight into industry practice and experienced the breaking down of gender stereotypes. “A major benefit was also the visit to BUT, where pupils could observe the process of developing an invention. They saw how students think, plan, and gradually refine the final form of the project,” says Markéta Němcová, adding that another bonus of the programme is the opportunity for intergenerational collaboration.

As part of a field trip to FME, the children got to try their hand at working in the StrojLAB. | Author: Václav Široký

Other inventions whose technical solutions were developed by BUT students include the smart school bag called Učebňák with a bottomless bottle, a robot named Bobot that will play games with children and take out the rubbish by itself, a multifunctional lunch carrier that knows who should receive which meal, and a walking Mexican-style fan designed to cool children in classrooms on hot days. Details about all the inventions and their creators are available on the MyMachine Czechia website.

Prototype production and the June EXPO

BUT students see their participation in the programme as both enjoyable and an opportunity to broaden their skills. “MyMachine is a wonderful experiment in which children invent the impossible and we, as university students, learn that ‘impossible’ only means ‘we haven’t tried to solve it creatively enough yet’,” says one of the participating students. Another highlights the opportunity for personal development. “It is a competitive alternative to an unpaid internship or a university project. Teamwork and even leadership experience are valuable additions to a CV.”

The inventions are now in the hands of high school students, who are working on building them. | Author: Courtesy of MyMachine Czechia

The designs were handed over to secondary school students in the spring, and they are now working on building them. BUT students remain available to support the secondary school teams throughout the production phase and consult technical solutions with them via Discord.

“Without university students, children’s ideas would often remain only on paper. They are one of the key elements of the entire process – they give ideas a real form and demonstrate how even seemingly impossible concepts can be transformed into functional solutions,” emphasises MyMachine Czechia manager Dominika Franeková. “What I like most about MyMachine is how it develops their ability to think creatively and search for new solutions. They learn not to take the first proposal as final, but to experiment, adapt, and continue improving it. These are exactly the kinds of skills that will be crucial in the future,” she adds.

At FCE, the children became bridge builders. | Author: Václav Široký

The culmination of the project will be the final EXPO, where on 11 June at VIDA! Brno, all participating primary and secondary schools, university teams, and corporate partners will come together. This is where the finished prototypes of the children’s inventions will be presented for the first time, showcasing their journey from the first drawing to a fully functional device. The EXPO will provide space not only for presenting the results, but also for sharing experiences, networking, and celebrating creativity together.

The public will also be able to try out the prototypes at VIDA! on 13 June during the event Dream Inventions, which will include creative workshops where visitors can make a glowing keychain or learn how to solder.

MyMachine Czechia in the context of STEM popularisation

The MyMachine programme was founded in Belgium in 2007 and has since spread around the world. It operates on a simple principle – invent, design, build. Primary school pupils draw their dream invention, university students figure out how to construct it, and secondary school students build it according to the instructions. Its mission is to develop creativity and intergenerational collaboration while naturally encouraging interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields.

MyMachine Czechia is the flagship project of the regional initiative Future Shapers, which focuses on the popularisation of STEM education. The initiative aims to increase by 30% the number of students applying to STEM bachelor’s and follow-up master’s programmes at Brno universities by 2029, within five years of its operation.

Presentation of the Bobot robot invention at FEEC. | Author: Václav Koníček

“Interest in STEM fields in the Czech Republic has been declining for a long time, and birth rates are also falling. Nevertheless, we believe this challenge can be overcome,” says Future Shapers project manager Monika Tomečková. The initiative also wants to reach students who have the aptitude for STEM but ultimately choose a different path. Often, this is because they have no idea what studying such a field or working in it actually looks like in practice. “And this is exactly where universities help the initiative. Together, we show that STEM fields can be exciting and open the door to interesting careers,” Tomečková adds.

Future Shapers are currently preparing the second edition of MyMachine Czechia, which is expected to involve more than 700 young people. BUT will once again participate in the programme, seeing its role as a natural extension of its own activities promoting technical education, for example through events and programmes under the Zažij VUT (Experience BUT) brand, which also includes the children’s university VUT Junior.

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source: vut.cz

 

Responsible person Mgr. Adéla Wachtarzová
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