Author Topic: Mule's first try at Snow Plowing  (Read 4049 times)

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Offline TommyTopic starter

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« Last Edit: December 05, 2010, 05:42:58 AM by Tommy »

Offline macdad-

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Re: Mule's first try at Snow Plowing
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2010, 06:50:26 PM »
Nice, any details for the bot?

Offline ddemarco5

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Re: Mule's first try at Snow Plowing
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2010, 03:49:13 PM »
is that a laser scanner on it's back?

Offline TommyTopic starter

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Re: Mule's first try at Snow Plowing
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2010, 08:21:09 PM »
Quote
is that a laser scanner on it's back?
ddemarco5
No, every snow plow I'v seen had a yellow flashing safety light, figured the Mule should have
one also, I did mask it so it's not so bright.

Tommy

Offline voyager2

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Re: Mule's first try at Snow Plowing
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2010, 09:49:44 PM »
Wow that's amazing, I've been following Mule's progress and its a really great robot, its a shame there's no snow where I am.
I can't wait to see Mule mowing grass!
And Admin said "Let there be robots!"
And it was good.

Offline Admin

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Re: Mule's first try at Snow Plowing
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2010, 11:00:13 PM »
I just finished ready something a close friend wrote about snowmageddon of last year . . . a friend of mine was pregnant and expecting her water to break during the snow storm. Her husband was freaking out, worried that his car will be trapped in the snow, so he was out plowing the never-ending snow . . .

Right after I finished reading I saw this . . .


Anyway, back onto topic . . . have you considered turning this into a product? I can see quite a lot of people buying this . . . it'll take a lot more work, but it looks very profitable at least on first glance 8)

Offline TommyTopic starter

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Re: Mule's first try at Snow Plowing
« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2010, 07:04:55 AM »
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I can't wait to see Mule mowing grass!
voyager2
I can't either wait to see the Mule mow properly, on a difficultly scale of 1 to 10, precision path mowing is a 45.

Quote
Anyway, back onto topic . . . have you considered turning this into a product?
Admin
Too soon to think about, too many unknowns(the Mule is only @5 months old, just a baby).

Tommy
« Last Edit: December 10, 2010, 07:09:20 AM by Tommy »

Offline TommyTopic starter

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Re: Mule's first try at Snow Plowing
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2010, 04:56:31 AM »
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Tommy's Quote: too many unknowns

George_0003.wmv

While doing the second try at snow plowing the Mule failed, the wheel hub spun on the drive axial cause one
wheel to stop turning. the conditions were very hard for the mule(lots of spinning tires), we had rain that turned
to freezing rain then to snow, with very high winds(40Mph).

I used a 1/4-20 bolt to connect the wheel hub to the drive axial(back to the drawing board)

I also used neoprene to cover the front of the Mule in hope of shedding snow, as you can see, it didn't work.

Tommy 

Offline macdad-

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Re: Mule's first try at Snow Plowing
« Reply #8 on: December 13, 2010, 10:30:41 AM »
While doing the second try at snow plowing the Mule failed, the wheel hub spun on the drive axial cause one
wheel to stop turning. the conditions were very hard for the mule(lots of spinning tires)

Add a de-icing system on board, perhaps gut a space heater or a hair drier and use the coils on that near the wheels to improve traction.

Maybe you could have a Antifreeze dispenser on the drive axles   8)

Offline TommyTopic starter

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Re: Mule's first try at Snow Plowing
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2010, 05:56:17 PM »
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gut a space heater or a hair drier and use the coils on that near the wheels to improve traction.
macdad
I think I can just add weight to increase traction, like add two more batteries over the wheels should
help, plus give me more power to use in your heater idea, to help shed some snow(small heater 12A inside
the front half on the Mule). heating that area could melt off any snow that collects on the neoprene cover.

something to think about.


Tommy
« Last Edit: December 13, 2010, 06:04:52 PM by Tommy »

Offline mirage

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Re: Mule's first try at Snow Plowing
« Reply #10 on: December 21, 2010, 04:55:28 PM »
It's beautiful Tommy!

Offline TommyTopic starter

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Re: Mule's first try at Snow Plowing
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2010, 04:08:58 AM »
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It's beautiful Tommy!
mirage, it's the plow!, you could put that plow on a purple pig, and it would still look sweet!.
the 10 inch wide wheels with the chains also help ;D

Tommy

Offline TommyTopic starter

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Re: Mule's first try at Snow Plowing
« Reply #12 on: December 24, 2010, 10:02:29 AM »
Life is SWEET!

Today my mom got a chance to use the Mule and she said she likes it and would use it, if I can correct
the depth perception issue with the cameras.


Tommy

 


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