Shovels are so last year. This robotic snowblower clears your driveway for you
Introduced last week at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Snowbot S1 promises to be a game-changer in snow removal
Snowbot is an autonomous snow blower robot that can remove snow throughout winter and keep your driveway, sidewalks and yard snow-free.
(Snowbot)
NEW YORK – The winter mornings of shoveling 12 inches of snow from the driveway are tiresome.
Blowing the same amount of snow in less time is easier on the back. But what if you could clear it all from the comfort of your warm home while watching your robotic vacuum clean the house?
There’s no doubt about it, technology is making our lives easier, and one manufacturer hopes to revolutionize the daunting task of snow removal.
Meet Snowbot – the world’s first autonomous snowblower.
Introduced last week at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Snowbot S1 promises to be a game-changer in snow removal.
The company’s CEO, Allen Huang, said its goal is to help people remove snow from their driveways, especially those with health problems, the elderly and the disabled.
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The price? According to the company’s website, the Snowbot S1 sells for $1,999 but sold out. They are currently taking a $5,000 pre-order deposit for a pro version.
With the autonomous navigation system and advanced positioning algorithm, Snowbot can automatically plan its cleaning path.
A 1,123 watt-hour lithium-ion battery powers it. A full charge can work for 1.5 hours and clean an area of about 1,500 square feet for a snow depth of 5 inches.
(Snowbot)
According to the manufacture’s website, after its beacons are positioned at three points, a default snow removal area is established and keeps the device on course while blowing snow.
It can clear areas with up to 12 inches of light or dry snow.
An app will also set cleaning plans and check on the real-time blowing work. A 360-degree rotating chute helps throw snow away in any direction that you tell it to in the app.
And just like playing a video game, it also comes with a remote controller to help customize other areas of removal.
As for power? There is no extra maintenance like gasoline blowers. It simply recharges before the subsequent use. It can operate in temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees.
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A 1,123 watt-hour lithium-ion battery powers it. A full charge can work for 1.5 hours and clean an area of about 1,500 square feet for a snow depth of 5 inches.
But what if my dog gets in the way? Built-in laser radar can detect obstacles in its path and stop working until cleared. A buzzer alarm, warning light and an emergency stop are also built-in.
The Snowbot was founded in 2015 in Shenzhen, China’s Silicon Valley. It was designed and developed by Hanyang Technology Co., Ltd. It established a branch named Hanyang Robotics Inc. in New York in 2019.
Small-batch production started in 2020, with the Snowbot S1 hitting the market for public testing last year. A retail version is expected later this year and will expand to a commercial-grade version by 2023.