DailyDirt: Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow... (Ok, Stop!)
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
Maybe this past weekend was a bit snowy for you if you live on the East Coast. Shoveling your driveway, and then shoveling it again, and then digging through the big mound of snow where the street meets your driveway -- fun times, for sure. If you were wondering if anyone had a robot snowblower, wonder no more.- Here's a remote-controlled snow blower -- complete with chains on its wheels to give it a bit more traction. You still have to go out to the garage to start it, but after that, get back inside and steer from a window. And if you want something that's more heavy duty, try this bot. [url]
- A remote-controlled snowplow isn't quite as cool, but it'll work when the show is manageable. This robot has six wheels and looks like it could go a few rounds on Battlebots. But if you're going to use a plow, maybe stick a plow on an autonomous Tesla or something. [url]
- If you insist on shoveling the snow yourself because it builds character, try using an old steel coal shovel. Take it easy, too, and don't over do it. [url]
- If you're willing to shell out for a more professional robot, a Japanese company makes a cute yellow snow remover called Yuki-taro. It has GPS, cameras and it's self-guided. Plus, it turns the snow into igloo bricks -- for just about $9,000. [url]
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: automation, rc bot, robots, snow plows, snow shovel, snowblowers, yuki-taro
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
How Does The Snowplough Driver Get To Work?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Take snow-shovelling advice from a New Yorker?
I recall, some years back, a YouTube video (title: "Snowpocalypse") where the videographer was showing off just how huge the "major" snowfall was, while out walking his dog. The snow was so high it was grazing the dog's belly (a pug, FFS!). Sigh.
While the coal shovel is a good shape it has two flaws: 1) the blade is steel, which adds to the work load; 2) the handle is too short as it's designed for working in tight spaces, so you keep having to bend over. It's a recipe for a heart attack.
I checked out Canadian Tire's, a cross-Canada hardware store, for their selection of 5-star rated snow shovels. One of the winners was an aluminum version of the coal shovel with a longer shaft. This, plus a snow scoop, would be the ideal combination.
[ link to this | view in thread ]