Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
103 Adaptive Solar Panel Canopy for Vineyard Microclimate Control
 Titouan Louis Matthieu Morel
Zikora Okonkwo
 Zhuchen Shao proposal1.pdf
# Problem :
Climate change is increasingly threatening vineyards by exposing plants to heat stress and water scarcity. During hot, sunny periods, leaves can overheat, soil moisture evaporates rapidly, and crop yield and quality can decline. Growers currently lack a localized, automated system to manage sunlight and humidity at the plant level without frequent manual intervention or excessive irrigation.


# Solution
We propose an adaptive shading and microclimate control system that combines a motorized solar-panel canopy with a moisture-capture foam layer beneath it. By using environmental sensors such as soil moisture, air temperature, humidity, and light intensity we can continuously monitor the conditions around the plants. The system will automatically adjust the title and height of the panels to regulate sunlight exposure and local humidity. The foam layer captures and retains ambient moisture to further mitigate heat stress. By using real time data, the system can optimize plant protection and water conservation which will provide precise and low maintenance solution for growers.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1: Environmental Sensing
### Function:
Monitor the microclimate around plants to inform adaptive responses.
### Components:
Moisture sensor for soil → Capacitive sensor (DFROBOT SEN0193)

Air temperature & humidity sensor → DHT22

Light intensity sensor → BH1750

Microcontroller → Arduino Uno

# #Subsystem 2: Moving Canopy
### Function :
Thermal Protection : Orient the panels to cast shade over the plants

Humidity Management : Adjust the height and tilt to trap or release humidity of the air generated by water capturing layer
### Components :
Linear Actuators → Progressive Automations PA-14

Distance/Height Feedback → Ultrasonic distance sensor HC-SR04

Tilt Control → Stepper Motor NEMA 23 + IMU BNO055

Orientation Feedback → IMU Sensor (BNO055)


# #Subsystem 3: Water capturing Layer
### Function :
Absorption : Capture the humidity of the air when it’s high

Release : Release the water when it’s needed
### Components :
Hydrophilic medium → Polyurethane Foam

Moisture absorbing material → Calcium Chloride CaCl2


# Criterion For Success

Soil moisture retention is improved about 10-15% compared to uncovered soil during test periods

System operates autonomously for about 24hrs without manual intervention

Canopy height responds to local humidity levels where height adjusts within 60 seconds to increase or decrease humidity

Canopy tilt responds to changes in light intensity where the panel tilts within 30 seconds of sensor threshold breach

The air temperature at the plant canopy reduced by at least 3 degrees celsius under high solar exposure

# Demonstration :
For the demonstration, we propose building a microsystem that simulates an environment with a bell jar, a lamp, a hair dryer, and a humidity diffuser. The demonstration will focus on showing the system’s response to an increase in temperature as well as on measuring and capturing humidity. We also propose adding a display to check the sensor readings and lowering the thresholds for the demo.

Automatic Piano Tuner

Joseph Babbo, Colin Wallace, Riley Woodson

Automatic Piano Tuner

Featured Project

# Automatic Piano Tuner

Team Members:

- Colin Wallace (colinpw2)

- Riley Woodson (rileycw2)

- Joseph Babbo (jbabbo2)

# Problem

Piano tuning is a time-consuming and expensive process. An average piano tuning will cost in the $100 - $200 range and a piano will have to be retuned multiple times to maintain the correct pitch. Due to the strength required to alter the piano pegs it is also something that is difficult for the less physically able to accomplish.

# Solution

We hope to bring piano tuning to the masses by creating an easy to use product which will be able to automatically tune a piano by giving the key as input alongside playing the key to get the pitch differential and automatically turning the piano pegs until they reach the correct note.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1 - Motor Assembly

A standard tuning pin requires 8-14 nm of torque to successfully tune. We will thus need to create a motor assembly that is able to produce enough torque to rotate standard tuning pins.

## Subsystem 2 - Frequency Detector/Tuner

The device will use a microphone to gather audio measurements. Then a microprocessor processes the audio data to detect the pitch and determine the difference from the desired frequency. This can then generate instructions for the motor; direction to turn pegs and amount to turn it by.

## Subsystem 3 - User Interface/Display Panel

A small but intuitive display and button configuration can be used for this device. It will be required for the user to set the key being played using buttons on the device and reading the output of the display. As the device will tune by itself after hearing the tone, all that is required to display is the current key and octave. A couple of buttons will suffice to be able to cycle up and down keys and octaves.

## Subsystem 4 - Replaceable Battery/Power Supply

Every commercial product should use standard replaceable batteries, or provide a way for easy charging. As we want to develop a handheld device, so that the device doesn’t have to drag power wires into the piano, we will need a rechargeable battery pack.

# Criterion For Success

The aim of the Automatic Piano Tuner is to allow the user to automatically tune piano strings based on a key input alongside playing a note. We have several goals to help us meet this aim:

- Measure pitch accurately, test against known good pitches

- Motor generates enough torque to turn the pegs on a piano

- Tuner turns correctly depending on pitch

- Easy tuning of a piano by a single untrained person

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