Tatarstan Begins Testing Agile Robotic Snowplows
The autonomous machines can operate in extreme cold and replace the work of 20 people.
Ground-based snow-clearing drones have begun trials in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan. The robots have already demonstrated strong performance. Two of the machines can do the work of 20 people, according to Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
“ROBOtyagi” Get to Work
The iron “janitors” were tasked with clearing snow from a residential courtyard after a snowfall. The ROBOtyagi - a name that plays on the Russian word for “hard workers” - immediately got to work. One robot pushed the snow into piles, while the second removed it. Clearing a 100-by-50-meter area took them just five minutes.
According to the mayor, the use of such robots in the municipal services sector has long been overdue. The city faces a shortage of custodial workers, with 900 open positions in Kazan. At a monthly salary of 35,000 rubles (about $420), those vacancies are unlikely to be filled anytime soon.
Where Tractors Cannot Go
Robotic snowplows have helped address the shortfall. As Fedor Mikheev, director of the manufacturing company, explained, the machine can operate for up to eight hours without recharging. It weighs about 500 kilograms, can function in temperatures as low as -50°C (-58°F), and reach speeds of up to 20 kilometers per hour (about 12 mph). The compact vehicle is highly maneuverable, capable of operating in spaces where larger equipment cannot turn around.
Earlier reports noted that trials of a transformer robot designed for mowing lawns and clearing snow had begun in Balashikha, outside Moscow.
