The City of Grande Prairie has added an automated snow clearing and ice control robot to its fleet for use on the City’s trail network.

Residents can expect to see the City pilot the robot on the trail around the Bear Creek reservoir, with the expectation of eventually having the robot plow, sand, and salt all Muskoseepi Park Trails.

The RT-1000 made by Left Hand Robotics is a fully autonomous snow-clearing robot that can clear up to 25 km of trail on one tank of fuel and is equipped with an attachment that allows for autonomous sanding and salting.

GPS sensors guide the robot along a route programmed by a City crewmember. The robot then uses a 56-inch wide, round, motorized snowbrush to clear the trail or path accurately within two cm of the programmed route.

The RT-1000 is equipped with technical hardware such as radar, LiDAR, 360-degree cameras, and mechanical safety features to ensure accuracy and safety. In addition, a supervisor can remotely monitor the autonomous robot by a mobile app to track progress and access cameras.

The addition of the RT-1000 to the snow clearing fleet will allow the City to provide a higher, more consistent level of service to trail users with no impact to staffing numbers.

The robot additionally features a lawn-mowing attachment that can cut up to 18 acres on one fuel tank.