SOLAR JOCKEY

The Sun moves, but your solar panels don't. Don't let the Sun pass you by. Utilizing cheap and efficient hardware, we found a way to better harness the Sun's energy.

Comment

Inspiration

  • CHICKEN JOCKEY
  • Sunflowers follow the Sun

What it does

  • Calculates the optimal orientation of a solar panel based on sensor data. (i.e. panel follows the most light). It then pivots the solar panel to the best position for energy capture.

How we built it

  • We used inverse trigonometry and physics to calculate the position of a light source to orient the system in that direction.

Challenges we ran into

  • At first, we tried to implement too much complexity into the system, forcing us to skip back.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • We were able to apply complex mathematical concepts to a functional self-contained unit.

What we learned

  • To not use IR sensors
  • To not use 4.0 library

What's next for SOLAR JOCKEY

  • World domination
  • Fighting the Sun

Built With

Share this project:

Updates