Eco Factor: Solar-powered snow shovel.
Last year we featured a human-powered DIY snow shovel, which required muscles of steel and guts to get out in the cold and power a machine to get rid of all the snow in your backyard. This year we have something that doesn’t require you to get out in the cold to get rid of the snow in your driveway.
Dubbed the I-Shovel, the robotic shovel is completely autonomous and doesn’t even bother you to charge it as it harnesses solar energy for itself. The I-Shovel is to be left out in the driveway, and when it detects an inch of snowfall it gets to work clearing a 4000-square foot driveway with its 3-foot-wide shovel on a single charge.
The patent-pending prototype is not only silent and agile, but makes sure that getting rid of snow doesn’t hamper the environment in any way. The I-Shovel is scheduled to be commercially launched in the early part of next year.
The Dark Side:
Snowfall is usually followed by a couple of cloudy days, so in such a case the I-Shovel will be nothing more than an uncharged robot serving as a stand to protect a creatively designed snowman from falling.
