suntracker

Let's Make Robots Robots
1

my first robot a suntracker using basic stamp 2 and meccano metal parts

 

the chrome dish focuses sun, i'm going  to use it to heat water in next build

4 switch (got from mouse) avoid it blocks with servo cables

 

chasing the sun based on the values of the 4 LED while the dish focuses the sun

  • Actuators / output devices: 2 SERVO
  • CPU: Basic Stamp 2
  • Operating system: Basic Stamp
  • Power source: 6 V
  • Programming language: pbasic
  • Sensors / input devices: 4 led
  • Target environment: Outdoors
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://community.robotshop.com/robots/show/suntracker
2

looks great but do you think

looks great but do you think you can add some more detail? 

3

Nice

I made one of these with an arduino, with pretty shoddy construction. Yours looks a lot neater, as well as your workspace :open_mouth:

4

More closeups of the tracker

Nice build.

I’m thinking in the same lane, for a small mini mirror sun power plant. But on the pictures I can’t see how you detect the sun?

Could you descripe it a bit and some closeups would be great. :slight_smile:

5

Light sensor

Probably with a light sensor. Or an array of light sensors.

There are a lot of those on the net.

This one looks pretty neat ^^

6

more details

hi, i’m going to build a new one using arduino . This in the post use 4 yellow leds to chase the sun, and the chrome dish focuses

the sun. 4 switch avoid multiple turns to chase the sun and prevent that servo cables block it.

i 'll post video and basic stamp code  .

Next build will use arduino, 2 maxiservo and a plastic mirror to heat water



7

How to detect light with LED?

I’m just wondering. How do you detect light with Yellow LED’s?

8

detect light intensity with led

hi vendorf70, when applies a voltage (5 V) to the LED and charges up the capacitor that exists at the
junction between the two types of silicon sandwiched together in the LED. Then, the RCTIME command
changes the I/O pin to input (doesn’t send a high or low signal, just listens), and measures the time it takes the
junction charge to decay below 1.4 V. This time is controlled by how much light shines on the LED. The
program measures the number of 2 μs time increments it took for the LED voltage to reach 1.4 V and stores it
in a variable named time.

’ Test LED Light Detector.bs2
’ {$STAMP BS2}
’ {$PBASIC 2.5}
time VAR Word
DO
 HIGH 11
 PAUSE 1
 RCTIME 11, 1, time
 DEBUG HOME, DEC5 ? time
 PAUSE 200
LOOP

moreover Led are cheaper of photoresistor

Now i’m looking to do same with Arduino

Anyway basic stamp project as still some problem: Horizontal movement is not stable in continue to move back and forth

as you can see on video

I must use a feedback

If anyone have made same project please let me know

9

video

http://it.netlog.com/go/widget/videoID=it-6155122

10

detect light intensity with led

Thanks, I had no clue, that you could do that. I’ll keep it in mind. :slight_smile:

11

let me know about your project

ok let me know about your  mini mirror sun power plant when it’ll be ready