Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
7 SolarTrack
 Rahul Patel
Rishikesh Balaji
Siddhant Jain
 Haocheng Bill Yang
Problem:

Fixed solar panels waste potential energy due to changing sun positions and limited monitoring,

Solution:

This project proposes the design of a self positioning solar panel system that automatically orients itself to capture the maximum possible solar energy throughout the day and stores that energy in a battery. Unlike fixed panels the system continuously adjusts its angle using light sensors or a sun-position algorithm controlled by a microcontroller, ensuring the best alignment with the sun as conditions change. The harvested energy is routed through a charge controller to safely charge a battery while protecting against overvoltage, overcurrent, and deep discharge. In addition to energy generation and storage, the system includes a mobile or web application that displays real time and historical data such as panel voltage and current, total energy generated (Wh), battery state of charge, system efficiency, and power consumption of connected loads. This application allows users to monitor performance, compare tracked versus fixed operation, and understand how environmental conditions impact energy production.

Solution Components:

Dual Axis Tracking Mechanism

The solar panels will be mounted on a two axis articulating frame that is driven by servo and stepper motors. This will allow independent control of both the east to west orientation, as well as the angle at which the solar panels are mounted. This will enable the panels to follow the sun’s path through the day across the sky.

Light Sensor Array

We will use an array of photodiodes or LDR sensors to detect the light intensity in various positionings in order to determine the most optimal position for the panels. We could also implement an algorithm that calculates the sun’s theoretical position based on GPS coordinates for use during cloudy or partially shaded conditions.

Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller

We will make use of a charge controller to interface between the solar panel and the battery to operate at the maximum power point. This will help us protect the battery from over charging, over discharging, and reverse current flow.

Energy Storage and Management System

We will incorporate voltage and current senors to measure the output from the panels, battery charge/discharge rates, and load consumption. We will make use of these measurements to compute realtime power, cumulative energy, and system efficiency for performance analysis.

Wireless Communication Module

We will use a WiFi communication module to send system data to a local server or even a cloud based server. This will allow remote monitoring, firmware updates, and long term data logging for performance analysis of tracked and fixed-tilt operations.

Mobile/Web Application Dashboard

We will use an application that will visualize live and historical metrics, including but not limited to orientation angles, power output, energy yield, and tracking efficiency. With the help of this application, users will be able to analyze trends, receive fault alerts, and evaluate the energy gained from solar tracking under different environmental conditions.

Criteria for success:

The success of this project will be evaluated under the following criteria.

Wi-Fi connection between the solar panel/battery and a local/cloud server.

Tracking of statistics, such as angle, output, etc... for display later.

A cache in which to store tracked statistics should the server be unavailable.

Creation of a web app to display the tracked statistics.

Creation of an algorithm allowing for the solar panel to "follow" the sun.

Integration of the algorithm onto a microcontroller + interfacing with light sensors and motors.



Covert Communication Device

Ahmad Abuisneineh, Srivardhan Sajja, Braeden Smith

Covert Communication Device

Featured Project

**Partners (seeking one additional partner)**: Braeden Smith (braeden2), Srivardhan Sajja (sajja3)

**Problem**: We imagine this product would have a primary use in military/law enforcement application -- especially in dangerous, high risk missions. During a house raid or other sensitive mission, maintaining a quiet profile and also having good situational awareness is essential. That mean's that normal two way radios can't work. And alternatives, like in-ear radios act as outside->in communication only and also reduce the ability to hear your surroundings.

**Solution**: We would provide a series of small pocketable devices with long battery that would use LoRa radios to provide a range of 1-5 miles. They would be rechargeable and have a single recessed soft-touch button that would allow someone to find it inside of pockets and tap it easily. The taps would be sent in real-time to all other devices, where they would be translated into silent but noticeable vibrations. (Every device can obviously TX/RX).

Essentially a team could use a set of predetermined signals or even morse code, to quickly and without loss of situational awareness communicate movements/instructions to others who are not within line-of-sight.

The following we would not consider part of the basic requirements for success, but additional goals if we are ahead of schedule:

We could also imagine a base-station which would allow someone using a computer to type simple text that would be sent out as morse code or other predetermined patterns. Additionally this base station would be able to record and monitor the traffic over the LoRa channels (including sender).

**Solutions Components**:

- **Charging and power systems**: the device would have a single USB-C/Microusb port that would connect to charging circuitry for the small Lithium-ion battery (150-500mAh). This USB port would also connect to the MCU. The subsystem would also be responsible to dropping the lion (3.7-4.2V to a stable 3.3V logic level). and providing power to the vibration motor.

- **RF Communications**: we would rely on externally produced RF transceivers that we would integrate into our PCB -- DLP-RFS1280, https://www.sparkfun.com/products/16871, https://www.adafruit.com/product/3073, .

-**Vibration**: We would have to research and source durable quiet, vibration motors that might even be adjustable in intensity

- **MCU**: We are likely to use the STM32 series of MCU's. We need it to communicate with the transceiver (probably SPI) and also control the vibration motor (by driving some transistor). The packets that we send would need to be encrypted (probably with AES). We would also need it to communicate to a host computer for programming via the same port.

- **Structural**: For this prototype, we'd imagine that a simple 3d printed case would be appropriate. We'd have to design something small and relatively ergonomic. We would have a single recessed location for the soft-touch button, that'd be easy to find by feel.

**Basic criterion for success:** We have at least two wireless devices that can reliably and quickly transfer button-presses to vibrations on the other device. It should operate at at *least* 1km LOS. It should be programmable + chargeable via USB. It should also be relatively compact in size and quiet to use.

**Additional Success Criterion:** we would have a separate, 3rd device that can stay permanently connected to a computer. It would provide some software that would be able to send and receive from the LoRa radio, especially ASCII -> morse code.