Zamboni obsolete? New invention claims it can clean ice sheet in 1 minute

[LadyStanley]

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/n...pell-the-end-of-the-zamboni-at-hockey-arenas/

Inventor claims his new ice cleaning machines, coordinating via GPS, can clean ice in one minute. (Melts ice to create the water needed.)

(Story does not indicate how many devices would be needed.)

No production deal in place yet. (So, no proposed price.)

 

[GuelphStormer]

i would love to see this on shark tank.

 

[IceAce]

This NEEDS to happen in San Jose for all games against Anaheim

 

[Fugu]

This NEEDS to happen in San Jose for all games against Anaheim

This isn't the first video I've seen of a cat riding a Roomba. They seem to love those things.

 

[AmericanDream]

The zamboni is a piece of hockey, a near landmark in my eyes. When people think of a zamboni they are automatically thinking of hockey or some form of it.

I doubt the NHL would consider this as saving time isn't their concern at the moment as the zamboni only comes out during 15 minute intermissions. Not sure who pays zamboni maintenance costs, etc ..but again, I can't imagine it being that high to propose this.

The only way I would think the NHL would consider this is if they extend overtime to 10 minutes which would likely mean they would need the ice cleaned for that extra amount of time, and in a fast manner. This scenario is one that could put this machine into consideration. Possibly using it for outdoor games as well as a means to get the ice clean fast during tv time outs could be another possibility.

But for me the zamboni is synonyms with hockey and should be for some time to come.

 

[MoreOrr]

This would be great in the effort to make OT actually 1/2 a Period rather than just 5 minutes.

 

[cheswick]

The zamboni is a piece of hockey, a near landmark in my eyes. When people think of a zamboni they are automatically thinking of hockey or some form of it.

I doubt the NHL would consider this as saving time isn't their concern at the moment as the zamboni only comes out during 15 minute intermissions. Not sure who pays zamboni maintenance costs, etc ..but again, I can't imagine it being that high to propose this.

The only way I would think the NHL would consider this is if they extend overtime to 10 minutes which would likely mean they would need the ice cleaned for that extra amount of time, and in a fast manner. This scenario is one that could put this machine into consideration. Possibly using it for outdoor games as well as a means to get the ice clean fast during tv time outs could be another possibility.

But for me the zamboni is synonyms with hockey and should be for some time to come.

Technically Zamboni is a brand name. A few NHL rinks don't use Zamboni's. Carolina and Vancouver use Olympia ice resurfacer's.

 

[Killion]

^^^ Wow. Brilliant. Odd that there would be "resistance to it from traditionalists". Im a "traditionalist" but not when it comes to matters of ice-making, cleaning, surfacing & re-surfacing technologies. Why, when I was a kid, natural ice, ice cleaning machine was you yourself and a snow shovel if you wanted to play shinny; at municipal rinks ancient Massey-Ferguson or Farmall Tractors with chains on their tires pulling a skid like contraption with a tank mounted on top of that and that was right on through to Junior in some of the really nicer older arenas in like St.Catharines & Niagara Falls etc. Then finally some of em actually got Zamboni's and that was a big deal. So If those units are a lot less expensive than Zamboni's (which arent cheap) while also being far more efficient to operate & maintain, then absolutely. Community rinks (and by rote leagues & players) everywhere would become huge beneficiaries to this system, freeing up a lot of money in having to buy, maintain & operate Zamboni's (and there are a couple of other mfgs' of systems like Zamboni's as most are aware), actually clean the ice between periods for the kids instead of just the usual in between games.

 

[Eddie Livingstone]

Technically Zamboni is a brand name. A few NHL rinks don't use Zamboni's. Carolina and Vancouver use Olympia ice resurfacer's.

You beat me too it. Its like band aid.

 

[GuelphStormer]

i dont think this would save any time or money. the only time saver I see is that several machines work simultaneously, thereby increasing ice surface / minute, but where are folks gonna store eight honking huge red BBQ-like machines and how long is it gonna take to wheel them all out there and place them accordingly to begin with. indeed, i think it would devolve into a hilarious game of robot wars for fans during intermission, much like the cat on the roomba.

... sometimes using a typewriter to address an envelope is more efficient than turning on a computer, starting up word, typing in the address, adjusting the printer for #10, and hitting "print".

 

[Killion]

... sometimes using a typewriter to address an envelope is more efficient than turning on a computer, starting up word, typing in the address, adjusting the printer for #10, and hitting "print".

Ya I certainly do largely agree with your point of view & perspective GS. Im actually no fan of "gadgets" whatsoever. Very much an Analog Man. Cant stand touch pads, despise my cell phone, will use hand tools rather than power depending on the project, have some serious mistrust towards new technologies..... BUT, if this system works, and they dont just run out there all over the ice like Daleks on Acid, which in and of itself would be rather amusing, and its cheaper by far from purchase to operations to maintenance while improving the surfacing, then why not? You could have in-between period IceJet Races. Kinda like the old Piggy Races at County Fairs, the CNE. Monkeys decked out on their backs in racing silks & goggles, cute little caps while the trotters chase Oreo Cookies just out of reach on conveyers around the track.... hows that for your "In-game Presentation"?.

 

[PanthersHockey1]

This would be great in the effort to make OT actually 1/2 a Period rather than just 5 minutes.

This. But for concession, advertising, and player rest purposes i doubt the intermissions will ever disappear.

 

[Jacob8hockey*]

It would benefit minor league hockey more than anything.

 

[skeena1]

If, as he claims, the ice can be resurfaced in one minute then the obvious advantage is you can get a clean sheet after every commercial break, thus vastly improving the play of the game.

 

[kdb209]

Technically Zamboni is a brand name. A few NHL rinks don't use Zamboni's. Carolina and Vancouver use Olympia ice resurfacer's.

And (based on the comment section) the pic in the THN piece (from Sochi) is actually an Olympia.

<insert obligatory The Zamboni was invented in Southern California reference here>

If, as he claims, the ice can be resurfaced in one minute then the obvious advantage is you can get a clean sheet after every commercial break, thus vastly improving the play of the game.

Unless the inventor can change the physics of water/ice freezing - nope.

All this appears to be is a small robotic zamboni where 8 of them can do in a minute what takes two full size Zambonis about 3 minutes - at possibly a lower cost.

http://www.syracuse.com/axeman/inde...ventor_creates_robot_for_ice_resurfacing.html

Van Eijl says the "Ice Jet" can resurface the ice in about a minute or so using GPS coordinates to control multiple machines at once.

The "Ice Jet" is not on the market yet, but a prototype has been enough to generate a phone call from the reality television show “Shark Tank,” which highlights inventors and entrepreneurs hoping to make it big.

“It’s really doing the same thing (as a Zamboni ice resurfacing machine),” Van Eijl told the Winona Daily News. “You’re just basically making it eight times as efficient.”

Will it make a difference at an NHL game - no.
Will it make a difference at a rec center - maybe.

 

[Beef Invictus]

It takes what, 3-5 minutes to resurface the ice at an NHL arena with 2 zambonis? I don't see how these can improve on that.

But if your local rink is stuck with something like this:

Sure, I can see this system being an improvement. Whether it's cheaper could be an issue though.

 

[CioCio]

... sometimes using a typewriter to address an envelope is more efficient than turning on a computer, starting up word, typing in the address, adjusting the printer for #10, and hitting "print".

That's assuming you're old in the first place. No one is taught "typewriting" these days.

 

[DyerMaker66*]

We are, it's just called "keyboarding" instead.

 

[epo]

A traditional machine puts down 400 L of water at 60 C and takes off about that much as ice. I don't think that is possible to do while reusing water. Even if only half of the water is recycled, the turn around time would have to be 30 seconds. They aren't doing that, so why do Zambonis and Olympias? Tradition?

At an average speed of 5mph and a 6 foot path it would require over 6 machines.

 

[GuelphStormer]

That's assuming you're old in the first place. No one is taught "typewriting" these days.

ouch.

well at least us oldies would know how to survive in a power failure. you kids nowadays with your whoozies and thingamajigs, you have no idea what's it's like to forage for berries and build a fire with your bare hands. i bet you've never even hosed down a backyard rink, strapped crushed campbells soup cans to your boots, or had your mom bring you and your friends cocoa warmed in a pot. that's real hockey, not some robot cleaning the ice.

 

[Finnish your Czech]

I'd like to see more or how this works, but it does sound nice, if it can resurface the ice in 1 minute. Though that isn't very important for NHL teams as they have >15 minute intermission breaks.

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

If, as he claims, the ice can be resurfaced in one minute then the obvious advantage is you can get a clean sheet after every commercial break, thus vastly improving the play of the game.

The article doesn't state one way or the other, but the 'one minute' thing might only apply to the resurfacing. I'm assuming that the ice would still need several minutes to 'set' after the resurfacing , much like it does now.

 

[Wingsfan2965*]

Honestly it wouldn't bother me.

Bringing the intermissions down to 5-10 minutes would be huge for TV.

 

[cheswick]

Honestly it wouldn't bother me.

Bringing the intermissions down to 5-10 minutes would be huge for TV.

The intermission isn't 15 minutes due to the length of time it takes to resurface the ice. They could have 5-10 minute intermissions now if they chose. Resurfacing doesn't take any longer than that.

 

[Beef Invictus]

ouch.

well at least us oldies would know how to survive in a power failure. you kids nowadays with your whoozies and thingamajigs, you have no idea what's it's like to forage for berries and build a fire with your bare hands. i bet you've never even hosed down a backyard rink, strapped crushed campbells soup cans to your boots, or had your mom bring you and your friends cocoa warmed in a pot. that's real hockey, not some robot cleaning the ice.

When you put it that way, you (and my dad) are right. The machines are stealing our souls.