Final Milestone
Second Milestone
In my second milestone, I wrote code to move the servo depending on how much light the photoresistors sensed. Photoresistors are light-sensitive resistors. When the intensity of light increases, the flow of electric current through the photoresistor also increases. On the other hand, servos are motors that can rotate to a precise angle or a desired position. I connected four photoresistors and the servo to an Arduino. The photoresistors detect any surrounding light and output numbers into the computer based on how bright the light is. I programmed it so the computer will take the averages of two photoresistors and the servo will move one degree to whichever side has the higher number. This process is helpful for my project because I can use it to determine where the sun is the strongest. For my final milestone, I will work to connect the servo to the solar panel so it can optimize the amount of sun it absorbs. A challenge that arose when working on this milestone was I have never used an Arduino before. I had to look at various diagrams to figure out how to connect all the pieces together. Furthermore, I did a lot of research and required a lot of help to program everything.
First Milestone
For my first milestone, I connected the solar panel, lithium ion charger, lithium ion battery, and MintyBoost. In order for my project to work, the solar panel absorbs energy and provides it to the lithium ion battery. The battery then transfers electricity to the lithium ion charger. The capacitor will ensure a constant voltage entering the system. Lastly, the MintyBooster will convert the 3v to 5v to charge a phone. A challenge I encountered was my solar panel initially had alligator clips at the ends of its wires; there was no direct way to connect the solar panel clips to the lithium ion charger. To overcome this problem, I clipped off the alligator clips and stripped part of the wires off. Next, I found a barrel jack adaptor and used a screwdriver to securely connect the wires. Hopefully, when I test the charger later, the connection to the solar panel will be successful.
MintyBoost Starter Project