The document describes a solar tracker robot built by students using an EV3 robotic kit. The robot consists of an EV3 brick, light sensor, two servomotors, small solar panel, and other components. It uses the light sensor to detect the angle with maximum light intensity and then rotates the solar panel to that angle to track the sun for improved solar power production. While prototypes have limitations, the robot demonstrates how solar tracking could be applied in other contexts like camping or sailing to produce more consistent power output during the day.
2. Getting Started
● Our school received the EV3 robotic kit mid
March
● The team decided to use the robot on a project
about green energy.
● The team noticed that some solar panels in the
area of Samos “follow” the sun.
● Decided to create a robot that can “guide” solar
panels
3. Building the robot
● The robot consists of
– The EV3 brick
– A light sensor
– Two servomotors
– A small solar panel
– Cables and Lego bricks
● The robot is build as a prototype to test the
system
4. Technical Details
● Servomotor A
– Holds the light sensor.
● Servomotor B
– Holds the solar Panel
● Rotation axes of the two motors are parallel to each
other.
● The two motors rotate independently
● Can direct the light sensor or the solar panel to any
angle between 0-360 degrees.
5. Programming the
robot
● Lego mindstorms development platform was
used to create the software that controls the
robot
● The robot should be set to an initial position
before running the program
● The algorithm uses two nested loops.
● The software runns until the cancel button on
EV3 brick is pressed.
6. Software Details
● The outer loop is an infinite loop so that solar
tracker periodically adjusts the solar panel
angle.
● The inner loop
– Rotates the light sensor to scan the area
– Detects best angle (angle maximum light intensity is
measured)
– Rotates the solar panel to the best angle
7. Advantages
Other possible uses
● Improves solar power production
● Power produced during daytime varies less
compared to stable
● Easy installation
– A waterproof - larger scale robot could be used
● During camping (on top of a caravan, camping vehicle)
● On a sailing boat (while ported)
● Installing a shader instead of a solar panel
could provide larger shading areas during all
day
8. Disadvantages
Future Work
● Moving parts mean higher construction and
maintenance cost.
● Calibration / adjustment of the two motors is
required.
● Light sources near the sensor may deceive the
robot
● Future plans are:
– Create two axes solar tracker (to scan all the sky)
– Perform tests using large solar panel so as to
provide energy for a classroom in the school.
