Robotic Snowplow Helps California Combat Cannibalism

There's been ample chatter about the recent snows that crippled the Rockies; the latest news from the Colorado Bureau is that helicopters are airlifting hay for stranded cows. ("Film at 11!") But in other parts of the country, blizzards of the sort that paralyzed Denver -- the kind that can drop 2+ feet of snow in the span of a day or two -- are strictly routine. And when big snows fall regularly, the locals get good at keeping the wheels of commerce turning.

Consider Donner Summit, along Interstate 80 in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Winter weather is extreme on Donner Summit, which is named after the infamous cannibals of the Donner Party who suffered greatly nearby during the winter of 1846.  As the hapless Donners discovered, the local snow is heavy, wet, and abundant, because the area's 9,000-foot alpine peaks tear the belly out of every storm that blows into Northern California from the Pacific. So today, the state's official transportation agency, Caltrans, fields an arsenal of snow removal equipment to keep traffic moving along I-80.  And the most impressive piece of hardware of all is a giant robotic snowblower built by Kodiak Northwest that has been equipped with a fully-automated navigation system. 

Developed by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley, the Advanced Rotary Plow (ARP) uses a network of magnets embedded along the roadway to guide the massive snow-spewing machine along the Interstate in zero-visibility conditions -- like a blinded pilot flying on instruments. Meanwhile, an onboard array of sensors sniffs out obstacles  -- such as abandoned cars, hungry cows, napping yetis, or whatever -- that may lie hidden beneath the deep snows.

It works. Last week Telstar Logistics sent a Tactical Patrol deep into the Sierras shortly after the area received a robust and full-bodied two-foot dump.  It had been whiteout the day before, but by morning, I-80 was fully cleared and traffic was flowing effortlessly. That's when our team spotted the Kodiak ARP shown above basking in the sun after a long night's work.

Like cops craving donuts or postal workers with homicidal tendencies, the stereotypical state highway worker passes the days taking endless coffee breaks by the side of the road.  But let it be said that the Sierra Snowfighters from Kingvale Station in Caltrans District 3 do a superb job keeping I-80 clear, 24 hours a day, whenever blizzards strike. They've earned our gratitude many times over, and each deserves our coveted Employee of the Season parking spot. Yet all they seem to ask in return is that we just Give 'Em a Brake.

"Caltrans Prepares for Winter Storms" (KGO-TV video with footage of historic and current Donner Summit snow removal operations. Recommended!): LINK

Advanced Rotary Plow Vehicle Control (UC Berkeley project summary page): LINK

Photos by Snowplowfan of a Caltrans Kodiak ARP in action: LINK

Caltrans Kingvale Live I-80 Webcam: LINK

Comments

[Fred Sharples]

Best headline of 2007. Anywhere.

[ToastyKen]

I bet the robots are just doing this so they can have more food for themselves. :P

[John from Unofficial Squaw]

That is a killer machine. Good advice: "Yet all they seem to ask in return is that we just Give 'Em a Brake." ...it's amazing how few people ignore it risking these hard working guy's lives.