Russian Students Are Building a Snow-Clearing Robot for the Arctic
Tests have confirmed the machine can operate in harsh climatic conditions.
Students at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University have designed a robot for snow removal in the extreme conditions of the Far North. The innovative snow-clearing robot is being developed by the Polytech Voltage Machine engineering team at the university’s Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials, and Transport.
The robotic platform, dubbed Freze, has already been tested at a dedicated test site with a specialized attachment. Researchers evaluated its mobility in deep snow, resistance to icing and strong winds, and the effectiveness of both the snowplow blade and the auger-rotor mechanism.
Engineers also separately tested the energy consumption of a new cold-resistant, high-capacity battery developed at the Engineering Center for the Design, Certification, and Testing of Advanced Energy Sources.
From Reliability to Autonomy
After confirming the robot’s basic operability in extreme conditions, the research team shifted its focus to strengthening autonomous functions.
The university team is now working on a system capable of independently clearing snow in harsh Arctic environments.
Robots are also being used for winter snow removal in the Moscow region. There, the management company Zhilkominzhiniring has deployed a transformer robot on the streets of Balashikha. In summer, it can mow lawns, while in winter it clears sidewalks of snow.
