Sun lovi'n solar panel

thingiverse

This is my first attempt at creating a moving object as an experiment to enhance its efficiency. The goal is to make it self-sufficient; however, I have not yet found a small rechargeable power source of about 5 volts that meets the challenge. The project includes two 9g servos, an Arduino Nano, four 91 Ohm resistors, a solar panel, a soldering lab board, four light-sensitive resistors, cables, and a glue gun. All these items can be easily found online, and the code (currently basic) is available in the files section. The CATparts are also included to facilitate scaling for different solar panels and/or lab boards. It should work in any scale, and using steppers may provide similar results with code adjustments. To assemble the project, print the parts and screw the servos in place. Glue the solar panel and "servo heads" to their respective parts, along with the light-sensitive resistors in their designated spots. The "sun resistors" create a voltage divider between an analog port and 5 volts and are coupled to ground using other resistors. To follow the sun, write a program that compares the voltages in each plane and moves the servos to minimize the difference. Currently, the project also includes code to prevent movement in low light conditions by measuring the average light across all four sensors and limiting movement based on a specific value. Additionally, variables have been added for fine-tuning speed and position. The project is still ongoing, with updates available in the provided YouTube link.