Sun Tracking Robot - first test

This is my last weekend project that I built from recycling parts :)
It's a small parabolic dish (14cm diameter), that tracks the sun.
I used 1 basic stamp, 2 servos, 4 limit switches, 2 magnetic contacts, and 4 LDRs for the tracking sensor.
The dish is rotating around the focal point, so the focal point is at the center of the x,y rotation.
When the dish touches the left of the right limit switch then it turns around about 180 degrees on the x-axis, goes to the opposite angle on the y-axis, and then starts tracking again.
( x-axis=330 degrees y-axis=180 degrees)
The electronics could be operated by solar charger, if I had one.
The idea is to have a fixed focal point all the time so to be able to use this energy somehow in the future.
This is the first test. The programming has not finished yet.
I will show to you the power of this small dish using the sun in another video later.
Enjoy.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Solar
• Tracking
• Robot
• parabolic
• dish
• basic
• stamp
• sensor
• light
• sun
• pan
• tilt
• free
• energy
• cooking
• program
• planmix
• greece
• tuning

[pilotharisrc]

Ola kala..... alla........ to hamster ti rolo varaei sto video. Mipos einai robotaki ki ayto?

[planmix]

Den einai hamster. Einai o skiouros mou o Stitch kai mou kratage parea.

An mporousa na ftiaksw tetoio robot tha eixa parei toulaxiston to Nobel :)

[flyfish27]

Okay, nevermind I see. The Light resistors are in four quadrants facing up..

[planmix]

I'glad that you found your answer before I respond to your msg. Just a small tip. The cross had to be a little bigger, so when the light is up or down, the shadow fully covers the left&right sensor. But you can fix it thru programming.

[ArisMetal]

akuri mousiki... ntemek mustirio...

[planmix]

Nai re patriwth, exeis dikio telika:) Twra pou ksanaeida to video den kollaei..

[suluksummuskulus]

@planmix off topic: Where can I find the background music?

[roderickelectroman]

very good job, i have finished my progect, its a defence tracking robot armed with a bb machine gun. i posted the link:

...youtube.com/watch?v=rWuRjMD­1uSs

[gatometalico]

m_) interesting.. machine. you should animate it at some point.

[BespokeGroupUK]

when you design a bigger one, PUBLISH the SCHEMATICS as this will be essential fo all of us alternative energy nutters out here