To make sure your plow will have sufficient muscle, start with the rugged Warden Robot Kit from Actobotics. Add a sealed gel-cell battery, electrically joined drive motors, and a shovel blade assembled from 3-D-printed parts. Steer your vehicle over the driveway using the remote, and you’re ready for total winter domination—from the comfort of the indoors.
WARNING: Water and electricity shouldn’t mix. Use waterproof tape to keep snow out of the plow’s main compartment.
Stats
Time: 2 hoursCost: $389Difficulty: Medium to hard
Tools
Hex keys (7/64, 9/64, and 3/32)Soldering ironWire cutter/stripper3-D printer and filamentElectrical tape
Materials
Materials can be purchased from Servo City, All Electronics, and Mouser Electronics.
Warden Robot Kit (No. 637144)Four gearmotor boards (No. 605118)10 feet of 20-gauge red/black zip cord (No. WRB-20 from All Electronics)One pair alligator clips (No. BUKM2040)Pololu TReX Jr dual-motor controller (No. 605058)On/off toggle switch (No. 103-0132-EVX from Mouser Electronics)Two-or four-channel transmitter/receiver radio-control system (e.g., Tactic TTX410)Four 12-inch male-to-male JST connectors (No. 607006)Four gearmotor end caps (No. 9753K86)Two 12-inch servo extension cables (No. MM2212S)31 ½-inch-by-6-32 socket-head cap screws31 6-32 nylock nuts12-volt 5 AH gel-cell battery (No. GC-125 from All Electronics)12-volt DC 500 mAh battery charger
Instructions
This article was originally published in the January/February 2016 issue of Popular Science, under the title “Scoop Snow from the Comfort of Home.”
