Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
26 Solar Panel Cleaner
 Cameron Little
Geoffrey Swisher
Thomas Cai
 Maanas Sandeep Agrawal design_document1.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
presentation2.pptx
proposal1.pdf
video
# Solar Panel Cleaner

Team Members:
Cameron Little (clittle5)
Thomas Cai (wcai10)
Geoffrey Swisher (swisher5)

# Problem
Solar panels are highly sensitive to shading and dirt accumulation, which can significantly reduce their energy generation efficiency. Even partial shading or debris on the surface can create hotspots or disrupt the panel's output, leading to substantial energy losses over time. During ECE 469 Power Electronics Laboratory, we explored techniques to extract maximum power from solar panels installed on the roof of ECEB. However, these experiments highlighted how environmental factors, such as dust and shading, limit the panels' ability to consistently deliver optimal power output.


# Solution
To provide a cheap and effective solution for various types and models of solar panels, we are going to design a rail-based cleaner. The rail can be attached to the top of the solar panels, with wheels to allow horizontal movements. A soft material like felt can be used to prevent damage to the panels. The cleaning module is then attached to the rail through cables, which can be shortened or lengthened through controllable motors to achieve vertical cleaning.

# Solution Components

## PCB Controller
The controller subsystem includes a front panel with inputs for controlling the cleaner, as well as the MCU which will interface with the panel and the drivetrain. The front panel will have buttons/switches/knobs to enable and control the operation of the cleaner. The microcontroller will be STM32C0.

## Drivetrain
The drivetrain subsystem is responsible for moving the cleaning module across the solar panel surface. The design involves two distinct motion components:
Vertical movement for the cleaning module to scale up and down the solar panel using attached cables.
Horizontal Movement for the cleaning module to be able to move along the rail attached at the top of the panel
Motors such as the NEMA 17 stepper motor will be used for accurate control of both vertical and horizontal movement. These motors will be paired with motor drivers (e.g., DRV8825) to interface with the microcontroller.



## Cleaning Mechanism
The cleaning module consists of an interchangeable microfiber cloth and a cleaning solution dispenser. The solution can be dispensed with the use of a [Digiten](https://www.digiten.shop/products/digiten-1-2-dc-12v-electric-solenoid-valve-normally-closed-n-c-water-inlet-flow-switch) ½ inch, 12 Volt solenoid valve.


## Energy Storage
Two (2) 12V drill batteries, such as [Warrior ](https://www.harborfreight.com/12v-lithium-ion-battery-with-charger-57763.html?gQT=1) 12V Lithium-ion Battery. Charger will be included with the batteries. DC-DC converters will be used to power the motors and supply 3V for the microcontroller. In order to provide power to devices on the moving cleaning component, a [coiled cable](https://www.amazon.com/RIIEYOCA-Female-Cable%EF%BC%8CDC-Extension-Stretched/dp/B0BJT9TC5J?th=1) could be used.

# Criterion for Success
To ensure the solar panel cleaner is effective, the following goals can be tested:
The cleaning mechanism must remove at least 80% of visible debris (e.g., dust, dirt, or bird droppings) from the solar panel surface.

Cleaning tests will demonstrate a measurable increase in power output of the cleaned panel, with a minimum improvement of 10% compared to an uncleaned panel under identical lighting conditions. Solar panel extraction power can be done in the Power Lab on the fourth floor.

Manual operation via front-panel controls must allow precise movement of the cleaning module in both horizontal and vertical directions.

The drivetrain, motors, and other electronics must function correctly after 40 cleaning cycles without significant wear or failure, ranging in environments 32°F - 100°F.

Habit-Forming Toothbrush Stand

John Kim, Quinn Palanca, Rahul Vasanth

Habit-Forming Toothbrush Stand

Featured Project

I spoke with a TA that approved this idea during office hours today, and they said I should submit it as a project proposal.

# Habit-Forming Toothbrush Stand

Team Members:

- Rahul Vasanth (rvasant2)

- Quinn Andrew Palanca (qpalanc2)

- John Jung-Yoon Kim (johnjk5)

# Problem

There are few habits as impactful as good dental hygiene. Brushing teeth in the morning and night can significantly improve health outcomes. Many struggle with forming and maintaining this habit. Parents might have a difficult time getting children to brush in the morning and before sleep while homeless shelter staff, rehab facility staff, and really, anyone looking to develop and track this habit may want a non-intrusive, privacy-preserving method to develop and maintain the practice of brushing their teeth in the morning. Keeping track of this information and but not storing it permanently through a mobile application is something that does not exist on the market. A small nudge is needed to keep kids, teenagers, and adults of all ages aware and mindful about their brushing habits. Additionally, many tend to zone out while brushing their teeth because they are half asleep and have no idea how long they are brushing.

# Solution

Our solution is catered toward electric toothbrushes. Unlike specific toothbrush brands that come with mobile applications, our solution applies to all electric toothbrushes, preserves privacy, and reduces screen time. We will implement a habit-forming toothbrush stand with a microcontroller, sensors, and a simple LED display that houses the electric toothbrush. A band of sensors will be wrapped around the base of the toothbrush. Lifting the toothbrush from the stand, turning it on, and starting to brush displays a timer that counts seconds up to ten minutes. This solves the problem of brushing too quickly or losing track of time and brushing for too long. Additionally, the display will provide a scorecard for brushing, with 14 values coming from (morning, night) x (6daysago, 5daysago, . . . , today) for a "record" of one week and 14 possible instances of brushing. This will augment the user's awareness of any new trends, and potentially help parents, their children, and other use cases outlined above. We specifically store just one week of data as the goal is habit formation and not permanent storage of potentially sensitive health information in the cloud.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1 - Sensor Band

The sensor band will contain a Bluetooth/Wireless Accelerometer and Gyroscope, or Accelerometer, IR sensor (to determine height lifted above sink), Bluetooth/Wireless connection to the microcontroller. This will allow us to determine if the electric toothbrush has been turned on. We will experiment with the overall angle, but knowing whether the toothbrush is parallel to the ground, or is lifted at a certain height above the sink will provide additional validation. These outputs need to be communicated wirelessly to the habit-forming toothbrush stand.

Possibilities: https://www.amazon.com/Accelerometer-Acceleration-Gyroscope-Electronic-Magnetometer/dp/B07GBRTB5K/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=wireless+accelerometer&qid=1643675559&sr=8-12 and individual sensors which we are exploring on Digikey and PCB Piezotronics as well.

## Subsystem 2 - Toothbrush Base/Stand and Display

The toothbrush stand will have a pressure sensor to determine when the toothbrush is lifted from the stand (alternatively, we may also add on an IR sensor), a microcontroller with Bluetooth capability, and a control unit to process sensor outputs as well as an LED display which will be set based on the current state. Additionally, the stand will need an internal clock to distinguish between morning and evening and mark states accordingly. The majority of sensors are powered by 3.3V - 5V. If we use a battery, we may include an additional button to power on the display (or just have it turn on when the pressure sensor / IR sensor output confirms the toothbrush has been lifted, or have the device plug into an outlet.

# Criterion For Success

1. When the user lifts the toothbrush from the stan and it begins to vibrate (signaling the toothbrush is on), the brushing timer begins and is displayed.

2. After at least two minutes have passed and the toothbrush is set back on the stand, the display correctly marks the current day and period (morning or evening).

3. Track record over current and previous days and the overall weekly record is accurately maintained. At the start of a new day, the record is shifted appropriately.

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