Icicle (and Snow) Removal Accessory

grabcad

This accessory could be used in a drone battle competition, but it was designed with a more practical application in mind. Ski resorts, businesses, and governments must routinely remove excess icicles and snow from buildings for safety and liability reasons. This accessory is used to safely remove icicles (and snow with optional plow) from roofs. The teeth not only help to grab the icicle, but can also be used to cut a groove in a large icicle to create a break point. While intended to be used under the guidance of a camera, privacy concerns may prevent this feature, so the arms were designed wide to accommodate direct visual steering. This accessory, especially with the plow attached, highlights the advantage of 3D metal printing over traditional manufacturing which would have required multiple processing, assembly, and finishing operations to achieve a similar design.