In New Jersey, autonomous snowblower Yarbo successfully underwent tests during a snowstorm. American Tom Maloney, the creator of the State of Charge YouTube channel, entrusted the clearing of a huge 6,000-square-foot property to the robot and watched the process from a window with a cup of coffee in hand.
Controlled by GPS and sensors, Yarbo independently cleared the area, returned to charge, and continued working after a pause. The test video spread across social media, drawing interest in similar devices.
The work required serious preparation: the owner had previously guided the robot manually along the route to configure the system, mark the boundaries, and teach the device the specifics of the terrain. It was necessary to create an accurate map and account for possible difficulties — such as ice or uneven ground. However, Yarbo handled the task well.
Such an assistant would not be out of place in the arsenal of municipal services either.
