lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,001
10,486
126
Pretty nifty, but I think tracks would work better than wheels.
 

HannibalX

Diamond Member
May 12, 2000
9,359
2
0
Very cool. If I ever move back to Chicagoland I'm getting one of these... that is, unless the city in its infinite wisdom has banned them for our own good.
 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,121
778
126
It wouldn't do well in deep snow.
That pile they showed towards the end of the video was not created by the roboplow.
 

Engineer

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
39,230
701
126
It wouldn't do well in deep snow.
That pile they showed towards the end of the video was not created by the roboplow.

Hence the credits of the "shovelers" listed at the end.

As for deep snow, I agree. Would be good and fast at doing it multiple times while still snowing. Could clear the sidewalk several times while snowing to avoid the big buildup. Still very cool.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,001
10,486
126
It wouldn't do well in deep snow.
That pile they showed towards the end of the video was not created by the roboplow.

You'd have to be constantly running it every couple of inches or so. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem if you can control it from a computer. Put a docking station ala Roomba in the garage, and run it every couple of hours or so, docking it between plows. It's not the most practical thing in the world, but it looks fun to use.
 

HannibalX

Diamond Member
May 12, 2000
9,359
2
0
Now it just needs GPS integration so it can work on its own. Program a set route for it to take and let it go.
 

Matthiasa

Diamond Member
May 4, 2009
5,755
23
81
660 amp of power... what???

It also does a poor job of getting all the snow off, and so may end up just created layers of ice. :(
 

slayer202

Lifer
Nov 27, 2005
13,679
119
106
surprised there isn't something sort of like this out there thats popular. like one of those auto vacuums
 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,121
778
126
660 amp of power... what???

It also does a poor job of getting all the snow off, and so may end up just created layers of ice. :(
Add a salt spreader.

bvsand.jpg
 

HannibalX

Diamond Member
May 12, 2000
9,359
2
0
Salt spreader would be good. You could use one of those gear driven fertilizer spreaders and tow it behind the unit.
 

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
25,195
0
56
Salt spreader would be good. You could use one of those gear driven fertilizer spreaders and just town it behind the unit.

Or build the body out of stainless steel/plastic and integrate a spreader into the design.
 

xanis

Lifer
Sep 11, 2005
17,571
8
0
Salt spreader would be good. You could use one of those gear driven fertilizer spreaders and just town it behind the unit.

Wouldn't that kind of gimp the thing? It's got pretty much no turning radius whatsoever, towing a mechanical fertilizer spreader would get rid of that. I'm thinking it needs something like what's on the state DOT trucks. Something that's mounted to the back.
 

HannibalX

Diamond Member
May 12, 2000
9,359
2
0
The gear driven spreaders are a good design, if you could make the components smaller and integrate them it could work. Put the salt hopper on top of the main unit.