This is to share what went into building the second version of our push-aside bike lane sweeper. Since earlier this year, Ramez Tadros in Charlotte, NC volunteered to test a push-aside sweeper of the first version, and we used his feedback to design and build a much improved version. Here are before and after photos showing the capabilities of the new sweeper (taken just down the road from my workspace on the Sunshine Coast).
Our push-aside sweepers have the brush on an angle for pushing debris to the side. This makes it challenging to keep the sweeper narrow due to the sides jutting out. An objective with this push-aside sweeper was to make it as narrow as possible for a given width of the brush. This was achieved by making the main frame member go over the brush instead of around the side of the brush. This is shown in the photos below of the 3D model. The photo on the right has the brush highlighted to show that the sweeper is barely wider than the brush.
Another objective of this sweeper was to make it refined and ready for production, with durability and manufacturability going into every aspect of the design. Here’s the assembled sweeper when it was still shiny clean before first use.
The brush is sourced locally from a brush manufacturer in Vancouver. This avoids the need for shipping the brushes, and a nice benefit of sourcing from them is that they can rebristle brushes, to avoid wasting the big tubular brush core. The photo below shows the brush with the motor installed. We 3D print an adapter to mount an electric scooter motor into the plastic cylinder that is the brush core. The photo on the right shows the black ABS side panels and clear polycarbonate shroud that were cut by a company in Vancouver.
Bending the main frame tube wasn’t easy. After one failed try, I got it right. I built a tube bending die specifically for making this bend (the thing with the black bolts in a curved pattern).
The process of machining and welding the frame went nicely.
This sweeper was built with both old fabrication methods (manual milling) and new fabrication methods (3D printing).
The photo on the left shows the full electrical setup with the controller box between the motor and the battery. This controller box includes a bunch of electronics that I soldered together. The thing in the lower right is a wireless on/off switch that mounts to handlebars. In the photo on the right, my dad is developing the software for a device to GPS track the sweeper and to send the data through the internet to his server. This will enable us to keep track all the sweeping that’s done. Also, it’ll enable us to create a heat map of what bike lanes have been swept and how long it has been since they’ve been swept, so that sweeper operators can know where to sweep next.
I finished welding the sweeper frame at the last minute so that we were able to show it at the BC Bike Show in Vancouver on March 2nd and 3rd. Big thanks to my dad for helping me at the show. I installed the shroud as soon as we got back to the shop. My dad had the idea of using the tow bar as a support to store the sweeper vertically in a space-efficient way.
The video below shows me leaving for the sweeper’s maiden voyage. I was stoked to find out that this sweeper sweeps like a champ. It has a totally new suspension design, and fortunately, I got the suspension calculation right, so that the brush pressure was right off the bat. The photos at the beginning of this blog post show how well the sweeping works. This is on top of this sweeper’s advantages of being durable and manufacturable, having a nice battery, being narrow with a wide brush, having a vertical storage mode, and possibly later on, having GPS tracking.
It works super well. Here’s GoPro footage of the front of the sweeper when going through some debris.
The future is bright for sweeping bike lanes in a cost effective and eco-friendly way. We’re excited to build tons of these sweepers and to get them out in the world, making bike lanes safe and enjoyable.
I love it!
Have you explored the possibility of having the wheels power the sweeper, as they do in a push mower? It would be great not to need the whole electrical subsystem, as long as it isn’t too much of a drag (pun intended [if that counts as a pun]).
Thanks! We have considered that, but it takes a lot of power to spin the brush and this would be taxing on the towing bike. I have an industrial sweeper trailer (Rabaud 1000A) that has the brush powered by the sweeper’s wheels, and it’s very draggy.
This looks fantastic, can’t wait to see it in use. Make sure you get it patented real quick, including that GPS tracking software.
Thanks Martin!
Cool project Cedric!
Thanks Lucas!
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To my amazement, I saw this in action down Rat Potage hill Sechelt. Sunshine Coast a week or two ago. Something that has been mooted in our household for many years. Great Job!!
I’m not gonna lie, that section of bike lane is quite scary. It’d be great if we had a protected bike lane especially there (with bollards at least, but ideally with full separation).
This is amazing!!! When can I order one?
Glad you’re interested! We’re working hard at finalizing the designs before we start offering bike lane sweepers to everyone. Email owner@bikelanesweeper.com and Pierre will add you to his list of folks interested in buying.