Author Topic: Anyone got any ideas for this? (Read 7655 times)

jakx12 · « **on:** June 07, 2009, 10:23:43 AM »

Well remember I was talking about building a autonomous robotic snow shovel thingy, in one of my other threads. Iv been thinking about it and i think it would be quite difficult to make. So i was thinking about other ways to do it, given the circumstances and automated under-ground hot water piping system to melt the snow is not feasible. So i was thinking lasers, to melt the snow. I also thought about a device that can put salt over the snow automatically but then we are just left with lots of salt. I also though about having a controlled exothermic reaction.

Any ideas?

kpmcgurk · « **Reply #1 on:** June 07, 2009, 10:38:10 AM »

The problem with lasers, is that they are really expensive, and they cover a really small area. Salt spreader would kill grass not to mention salt wont melt a ton of snow along with it killing grass. What about a snow blower?

What part of the shovel thing where you having problems with?

jakx12 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 07, 2009, 10:44:30 AM »

expensive to buy motors etc and im talking about meters of snow. but its for a drive way so its got concrete rather then grass.

SmAsH · « **Reply #3 on:** June 07, 2009, 03:40:18 PM »

see now with a laser it may melt the snow but what happens when you melt your neighbors cat
then blind your neighbor?
what about a battery powered kettle on board?

Razor Concepts · « **Reply #4 on:** June 07, 2009, 04:36:59 PM »

What if it doesnt know where the driveway ends and plows right unto the main road

jakx12 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 17, 2009, 09:30:27 AM »

its in the middle of the swiss alps

jamort · « **Reply #6 on:** June 17, 2009, 10:27:35 AM »

What if you had some type of plow? If you get a pretty large motor and make everything water proof and had the plow throw the snow to the side and not just keep pushing it i think it would work.... now you may have to design somethig with a lot of torque

jakx12 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 17, 2009, 02:33:15 PM »

Iv been thinking, maybe lasers could be controlled to melt the snow or water. Water melts snow because it is warmer then the snow.

jamort · « **Reply #8 on:** June 17, 2009, 02:55:17 PM »

yeah but the water will re freeze causing ice which is worse than snow to me

SmAsH · « **Reply #9 on:** June 17, 2009, 02:59:21 PM »

hairdryer on wheels! seriously! that could work if not for the power requirements...
a snow plow that shovels some snow into a tank, boils it then tips it on more snow, then repeat...

kpmcgurk · « **Reply #10 on:** June 18, 2009, 06:35:05 AM »

Try something that will suck up the snow, and then compact it into cubes of ice, and then stack them up in a designated location. This will not only shovel the driveway, but will also solve the "what to do with all this snow" problem!! Not to mention it being really sweet!!

airman00 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 18, 2009, 08:41:43 AM »

or get something similar to this - http://www.cleanairgardening.com/torelpowcur1.html - and just make it a robot

jakx12 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 20, 2009, 11:30:36 AM »

the whole point is to save money

Razor Concepts · « **Reply #13 on:** June 20, 2009, 12:08:39 PM »

With all the time you will spend developing a robot like that you could be working and buying like 5 snow blowers

Or you could just spend the one hour and shovel snow yourself. Robots like these arent the best way to save money... but they are good for the cool factor.

jakx12 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 20, 2009, 12:29:36 PM »

i suppose....:/

dellagd · « **Reply #15 on:** June 20, 2009, 12:52:44 PM »

well you definately wont save money, but you would save time. But in that case you just hire someone! If its like ALWAYS s'nowing there then you might want to like get a snowblower and just adapt it to be automus, then it might save money, just maybe...

chelmi · « **Reply #16 on:** June 20, 2009, 05:27:38 PM »

Quote from: dellagd on June 20, 2009, 12:52:44 PM

well you definately wont save money, but you would save time. But in that case you just hire someone! If its like ALWAYS s'nowing there then you might want to like get a snowblower and just adapt it to be automus, then it might save money, just maybe...

Autonomous snowblower? Usually I'm not obsessed by safety but in this case I'm a little bit scared :O

dellagd · « **Reply #17 on:** June 21, 2009, 06:00:12 AM »

you do have a point there.

Soeren · « **Reply #18 on:** June 21, 2009, 08:46:19 AM »

Flamethrower!

jakx12 · « **Reply #19 on:** June 21, 2009, 11:30:47 AM »

HA

Razor Concepts · « **Reply #20 on:** June 21, 2009, 01:03:28 PM »

Connect one of those back-and-forth sprinklers to your hot water heater and put the sprinker in the middle of your driveway

Should work as long as the water doesnt freeze back over during the night after you finish melting it.

SmAsH · « **Reply #21 on:** June 21, 2009, 03:37:48 PM »

wow, thats actually a plausible idea!
just hope that the un-frozen water runs down your driveway and freezes somewhere else.

dellagd · « **Reply #22 on:** June 21, 2009, 08:25:05 PM »

just avoid that, and you're in business!

Metal Slug 2 · « **Reply #23 on:** June 21, 2009, 09:47:55 PM »

LOL, I remember I tried watering my driveway in the winter once (on purpose). It froze and I was able to skate on it! w00t for hockey on your driveway!

One thing to remember/note is that HOT water COOLS FASTER than COLD water...Ironic, I know. Its called the Mpemba effect. Take a look: http://ivantic.apnoia.org/fizika/faq/hot_water.html

So unless you want an ice-rink driveway, then I wouldn't recommend hot water.

dellagd · « **Reply #24 on:** June 22, 2009, 07:30:30 AM »

hmmm, curious.

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Author Topic: Anyone got any ideas for this? (Read 7655 times)