As winter season comes around each year, many North American cities face a large amount of snowfall, which ultimately means a huge need for snow removing strategies. More and more technological gadgets have entered the field in a bid to make peoples’ lives easier. The Colorado-based technical company, Left Hand Robotics has come out with a technology named Snowbot Pro, which clears snow off the sidewalks while avoiding pedestrians.
To it start off, users need to walk the path they wish to clear, holding a device called the Path Collection Tool that maps the route in a series of GPS waypoints which are then uploaded onto the cloud server termed Robot Operations Center (ROC). This data is then converted into a ‘path program’ using technology created by Swift Navigation.
The official Left Hand Robotics website boasts multiple features. The bot automatically captures pictures of ‘Before’ and ‘After’ with the help of the built-in camera, it pauses when it detects any hurdles along its path, its rotating brushes clear away the path edge to edge in one sweep, brushes can be programmed to move snow in the desired way, it is of the optimal size to be moved on a typical trailer, an optional attachment in the back spreads salt after the snow has been cleared, an onboard computer connects to the Robot Operation Center.
When it is time for the Snowbot Pro to be an operation, it downloads the data from the Robot Operation Center. Built-in measurement units such as an accelerometer help the bot to keep its orientation. The bot is fitted with two LiDAR sensors and six cameras. As soon as it senses an obstacle, it stops in its progression and notifies the Robot Operation Center, which sends instructions to move around the hurdle.
The power for the bot comes from a gasoline engine of 37-hp Vanguard Model 61E, making it one of the heftier and more powerful technologies in the snow-clearing market. Users can utilize the mobile app or the dashboard camera to view the feed provided by the bot in real time.
The bot sold out when it hit the markets and was even reported to be used by the official snow clearing team in Colorado. The company boasts that the bot can reduce costs of manually shoveling the snow. They also claim that it can clear snow up to 14 times faster than manual snow removal. Furthermore, it reminds customers that the bot will take before and after photos for documentation.
The bot, with its multiple features, efficiency, and high demand, is priced at a whooping US $35,995.
Source: Left Hand Robotics (via: New Atlas)