Robot cleans gutters of debris

Citation

(2009), "Robot cleans gutters of debris", Industrial Robot, Vol. 36 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2009.04936aad.001

Robot cleans gutters of debris

Article Type: New products From: Industrial Robot: An International Journal, Volume 36, Issue 1

The gutter cleaning robot does a lot of the work but the homeowner must still climb the ladder to place the robot in each section of his gutter. The same firm that developed the robot vacuum cleaner, iRobot, now offers Looj, the robot gutter cleaner.

The robot runs the length of each straight gutter section and twirls a three-stage brush to remove leaves and debris (Figure 1). So it does reduce greatly the need for moving and climbing the ladder. The unit is battery operated and directed by a handheld remote controller, which also serves as a removable handle for transport.

Figure 1 The Looj gutter-cleaning robot in action

The homeowner places the Looj in any standard 10 cm or larger gutter and starts it on its way. At the end of the gutter run, the homeowner signals to reverse and the Looj returns. An 18 m gutter can be cleaned in about 10 min.

The three-stage brush has soft “fingers” to flip out dry leaves, a more rigid flap to break up the damper, heavier materials and finally a flexible flap to remove that material. If necessary, the homeowner can send the Looj down the gutter for a second pass.

The Looj is carefully designed with a small cross section so it can pass beneath the brackets the hold the gutter to the roof edge. A dual track drive system (Figure 2) enables the Looj to pass safely across down spout openings in the floor of the gutter. The body of the robot includes the battery, drive motor and the brush motor plus the control electronics. The robot has a detachable handle to make it easy to carry up the ladder and place in the gutter. The detachable handle also serves as the remote controller with control buttons for start, stop, forward and reverse.

Figure 2 Looj with removable handle/remote control attached for carrying

The auger unit weighs about 1 kg and is 48 cm long. A very flexible antenna on the robot receives control signals from the remote. The unit comes in three models, a basic model for less than US$100; an intermediate model with a wearable holster for US$130 and a deluxe model (about US$170) with the wearable holster and an extra battery pack. The holster allows the homeowner to use both hands while climbing the ladder.

Light, compact … but remarkably powerful

Maxon adds smaller motors to high-performance EC-powermax program

Among the key additions to the latest Maxon Motor “catalogue and selection program” – out now – is a 22 mm diameter brushless DC unit that gives extra options to design engineers seeking top performance while minimising size and weight.

The EC-powermax 22, available in 90 and 120 W power ratings, and with a choice of two lengths to suit different designs, expands the successful EC-powermax program with which Maxon has increased the performance to volume and weight ratio of EC (electronically commutated) DC motors to the highest levels.

An advance on the already impressive Maxon EC-max premium motors, the 30 mm and now 22 mm EC-powermax units have been boosted by a powerful four-pole magnet which replaces the two-pole rotor of their predecessors. For this, Maxon has insisted on the best magnetic material currently available on the market.

The four-pole magnet rotates around a stationary winding whose unique design forms a grooveless stator, with no air gaps, that ensures efficient, detent-free operation. This provides excellent control characteristics, particularly for positioning tasks. Precise detection of the rotor’s position is achieved with the use of Hall sensors.

Like every motor in Maxon’s extensive EC range, the inherent advantages of the new products over motors with brushes include almost unlimited life, smooth performance, a very broad speed range and the ability to reach high speeds even at low voltages.

Owing to Maxon’s modular system, even greater versatility is possible by combining the EC-powermax 22 with 32 mm planetary gearheads. It is also, of course, fully compatible with Maxon’s range of controllers and other system components.

“The EC-powermax 22 produces extremely high torque at slow speeds compared to other brushless motors of a similar size,” says Keith Ellenden, CEO of Maxon Motor UK. “Its exceptional power to size and weight ratio, together with the build quality and reliability designers have learned to expect from Maxon, makes it ideal for applications such as medical devices and hand-held tools – including machines for slicing and drilling” (www.maxonmotor.co.uk).