Feeding The Fire by Robot
Originally published on hackaday.com by Bryan Cockfield on 15 January 2024
Forget fossil fuels and skyrocketing bills! Meet Anders’s ingenious solution to keeping his home warm while staying carbon-neutral: a wood-burning robot. Now, burning wood might seem odd in the quest for green living, but hear this: trees absorb carbon from the air, releasing it only when burned. It’s basically solar energy with a rustic twist! And with modern stoves and properly seasoned wood, air pollution is kept at bay. The only challenge? Keeping the fire fed. Enter the robot.
[Anders]’s contraption revolves around a central boiler, channeling warmth like a superhero delivering cozy hugs. An Arduino Mega, the brains of the operation, orchestrates a symphony of old boat winches and assorted motors. At the end of this mechanical arm, a claw-like grip snatches logs end-to-end, handling even the most contorted firewood. It even opens and closes the boiler door like a polite guest, adding logs only when temperature conditions whisper approval. And best of all, you can keep tabs on its fiery performance remotely via an ESP32.
This eco-firefighter is surprisingly low-maintenance. Its deliberate pace minimizes wear and tear, while its lack of high-precision tasks makes it safe to be around. Sure, you still need to replenish the wooden ammo occasionally, but that’s far less frequent than manually stoking the flames. Bonus points for skipping the pellet production process, making it even greener than those fancy pellet stoves.
So, next time winter bares its frosty fangs, remember: wood, robots, and a dash of ingenuity can keep your home toasty and your conscience clear. Kudos to Anders for showing us that staying warm can be both clever and kind to the planet!
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