This is the i-Shovel, a prototype of an autonomous snow shovel. It is meant to be left outside, waiting for snowfall. When it detects one inch of snow, it goes to work shoveling the driveway. I would have loved this as a kid!
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10 thoughts on “Autonomous snow shovel robot”
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I’m so sick and tired of clearing my driveway this winter – if the price isn’t too extortionate, I may invest in one when it’s released, and hope that my neighbors don’t swipe it. :-) I definitely don’t have the chops for a re-make myself…
Kirk, maybe you could add defensive countermeasures to keep the swiping neighbors away :)
I’ve thought an automated snowblower would be great, not like a gas blower, but sort of like a wider version of an electric snowshovel (safer with regard to ingesting small pets or kids). Sort of like a roomba or one of those electric automated lawnmowers.
Have a short entry mouth only a few inches off the ground, a couple of safety bars, and have it fire up and start cleaning frequently to avoid buildup that would require a larger blower.
Trick would be mapping out the driveway so that it could:
A. know where to work
B. know where to blow the snow
C. know where the end of the driveway is
D. know how to dodge incoming vehicles (prox sensors?)
D.
Darkith, the i-Shovel guy put a metal tape around his drive to define the perimeter. He also said that there was a greater efficiency in pushing rather than throwing snow, which is a consideration for battery life. But I think you’ve got a good point about starting as soon as there’s accumulation, rather than waiting for large buildup. Are you thinking about building one?
have you seen the Snow-E-Shovel?
The Snow-E-Shovel is a lightweight automated snow removal tool that offers ease of use and faster, more effective results. This new product offers more flexibility and maneuverability than other existing tools because of the lightweight design and blade adjustability. The Snow-E-Shovel is a new motorized snow shovel that can transform into a Mini Tiller. It comes in three different models, one is an electric power motor, second model is a manual start gas powered engine, and the third is an electric start gas engine. This new product is much faster than any snow blower, or snow thrower and it is supreme to any manual snow shovel out in the market.
You can visit our website for more pictures and for an informational video.